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A crucial meeting on whether certain substances allowed under the Montreal Protocol of 1987 be allowed to be substituted for the ozone depleting substance (ODS), chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) or be banned in view of the prescription of the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, will be held in the Netherlands from May 26.

India has a great stake in the outcome of the meet as it continues to use two such substances_hydro-fluoro-carbon (HFC) and per-fluoro-carbon (PFC) in the refrigeration and conditioning industries, and solvent and fire fighting sectors. The Kyoto Protocol, however, wants the use and production of these substances also to be phased out as is being done in the case of other ODSs like CFCs, halons, nitrogen oxides and methane.

Like the other ODSs, HFCs and PFCs also adds to global warming and consumption and production of these must be eliminated. The industrialised countries have already been told to comply with the Kyoto provisions and eliminate the use of the two substances along with certain others, all of which are considered to be contributing to global warming even though not listed under the Montreal Protocol.

The executive committee (Excom), the highest authority of the Montreal Protocol Fund which provides grants for ODS phase-out, and under the aegis of which the Netherlands meet is being organised, will then consider the issue of harmonising the protocol of Montreal with that of Kyoto at its next quarterly meet to be held in Montreal in July.

India is not participating in the Netherlands meet.