India may fail to meet Montreal Protocol deadline for CFC phaseout
The absence of a legislation to restrain production and installation of fresh capacities of ozone-depleting chlorofluoro carbon (CFC) refrigerators is blocking Indias compliance with the Montreal Protocol deadline for CFC phase-out.
As a signatory to the 1991 Montreal Protocol, India is committed to limiting CFC refrigerant production after 2000 and phasing it out completely by 2010.
While technically the deadline is still over 10 years away, it has already been infringed upon as the average life of a domestic refrigerator in India is over 20 years. However, the industry continues to produce obsolete refrigerators which use CFCs.
This is an issue that needs to be addressed by the legislators who stipulate that the deadline for phasing out the use of CFC is 2010 under the Montreal Protocol, says Godrej-GE appliances managing director Vijay M Crishna.
The government would need to determine what happens to consumers who have ozone-depleting non-CFC-free refrigerators in and after 2010, Crishna said. Such a situation may cause the country dear both in terms of a huge stockpile of obsolete refrigerators by 2010 and an international wrath for non-compliance. According to estimates, the approximate growth in production, as per the plans of various manufacturers, could be around 30 lakh refrigerators in 1998-99, 35 lakh in 1999-2000 and 80 lakh by 2004-2005.
One of the main reasons for this apathy is the paucity of funds as promised under the Montreal Protocol. However, experts point out that project approvals and funds disbursement are done on a first-come-first-serve basis, and the industry is to be blamed for not forwarding funding proposals for technology change.
The second grouse relates to technology where the changeover poses a number of problems, including financial constraints to perfect and commercialise the new technology.
At this point, it is pertinent to note that while CFC substitutes are not indigenously produced, they are readily available and widely traded in the domestic market. There are no major stumbling blocks. However, it is important that all specifications are thoroughly studied and tested before making a complete transition to environmentally friendly technologies, Crishna added.
The government continues to be optimistic about the possibility of achieving CFC phase-out within the time frame specified in the Protocol.
The first obligation on India, and all other developing countries, is to achieve a freeze in consumption of CFCs in the 12-month period starting from July, 1999, at the level of the average consumption of CFC in 1996-97, says ozone cell director Anil Aggrawal.
Describing the progress of CFC phase-out as satisfactory, he said the government is already providing exemptions from payment of customs and excise duties on equipment covered in ozone depleting substances (ODS) phase-out projects having multilateral funding.
The ministry of environment and forests will also examine the need to provide additional fiscal incentives, and disincentives, to support the draft rules on ODS phase-out, Aggrawal says.
It is currently in the process of achieving a broad consensus on the issue among stockholders, including industry and related government departments.
