Bangkok, May 17, 2002 - The Pacific Islands have been given a major boost in their efforts to phase ozone-depleting substances (ODS), required under the Montreal Protocol.
A meeting in Nadi, Fiji next week will plan implementation of the first 'regional-scale' ODS phase out strategy to be approved by the Protocol's Multilateral Fund.
The Fund's Executive Committee allocated US$880,000 million for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - managed project at its meeting in Canada in March.
The project
will enable the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands,
Palau, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to completely phase
out the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of 2005.
CFCs and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), used in refrigeration and air-conditioning, and methyl bromide, a fumigant in quarantine and pre-shipment applications, deplete the ozone layer, a natural shield in the earth's upper atmosphere that filters out harmful UV rays from the sun. Pacific island countries currently consume about 50.6 tonnes of CFCs annually. Fiji halted its use in 2000, while the Cook Islands and Niue are currently preparing to ratify the Protocol, with assistance from New Zealand.
In approving the strategy the Committee noted the political commitment of Pacific Island Governments to total phase-out ahead of their obligations under the Protocol, their history of strong regional cooperation, and the demands of other more pressing environmental concerns such as climate change.
UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer remarked today that: "the way the world community responded to the threat of ozone depletion is a bench mark for environmental achievement."
"Fifteen years on from the scientific discovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica we are now phasing out ODS in practical ways in the smallest and most-isolated developing countries, having successfully halted production and consumption in the Western world."
Mr Toepfer said it provided a timely lesson about how complex global environmental challenges can be met through cooperation.
"We need international commitment, backed up by partnerships, practical action programmes, and adequate funding. These are the outcomes we will be looking for from the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August."
The ozone initiative follows another UNEP-backed meeting in Nadi this week aimed at addressing the most pressing environmental threat facing small island states.
Finance ministers from seven Pacific Island countries, senior officials, donors and scientific experts explored how adaptation strategies for changes in climate and sea level could be incorporated into national economic planning.
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Editor notes:
The workshop on the ODS phase-out strategy for the Pacific is jointly organized by UNEP, the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Australia and New Zealand and will be held May 21-23 in the Mocambo Hotel, Nadi, Fiji. The regional strategy was developed by UNEP, with SPREP, Australia and New Zealand. The project budget includes US$276,000 from Australia. The strategy will include direct support for national monitoring actions, regional facilitation for policy setting, training and public awareness, collaboration with bilateral donors, and advisory services from UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics staff based in the Regional Office of Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok.
More information on the ODS strategy can be gained from Rajendra Shende, Chief Energy and OzonAction Programme UNEP Division of Technology, Industry & Economics Tour Mirabeau, 37-41 Quai Andr? Citro?n 75739 Paris Cedex 15, France Tel: (33 1) 44 37 14 50, Fax: (33 1) 44 37 14 74, Email: ozonaction@unep.fr, http://www.uneptie.org/ozone/home.html
The Pacific Island High Level Adaptation Consultation was held in Nadi, Fiji from May 14-16. It was organized by SPREP, with support from the Australian and New Zealand Governments, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, UNEP and others. For more information on the consultation meeting contact Kim Nitschke, SPREP, Box 240, Apia, Samoa, Phone 685 21929. Email KimN@sprep.org.ws.
For further information:
Tim Higham, Regional Information Officer, UNEP, Bangkok, phone +662 288 2127, higham@un.org; or Nick Nuttall, Head of Media Services, UNEP, Nairobi, phone +254 2 623084, nick.nuttall@unep.org
UNEP News Release ROAP 2002/8