SPREP - Climate Change

Pacific Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Project

Project Summary

The Pacific ODS Project is the outcome of an approved "Regional Strategy to Implement the Montreal Protocol (on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer) in Pacific Island Countries".

The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement that is designed to eliminate the production and consumption of harmful ozone depleting substances. These subtances include chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), carbontetrachloride, halons, and methyl bromide which have many applications including refrigeration, air conditioning, foam blowing, cleaning electronic components, solvents, fire extinguishers, and quarantine and pre-shipment.

The ozone layer is found in the stratosphere 10-50km above the Earth and has the vital role in protecting the Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV-B) radiation. Increased exposure to UV-B radiation increases the chance of developing certain types of skin cancers. UV-B radiation also affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, altering growth, food chains and biochemical cycles. This radiation damages the aquatic life living just below the surface of salt and fresh water, which form the basis of the Earth's food chain.

In the Pacific, the use of ODSs controlled by the Montreal Protocol is limited to CFCs, HCFCs and methyl bromide. The first two are used solely for refrigeration and air-conditioning uses. Most methyl bromide is used for "Quarantine and Pre-Shipment" (QPS) applications, as defined by the Protocol. There are no manufacturing facilities and no new installations of refrigeration equipment using CFCs in any of the countries. CFC-12 and to a much smaller extent, CFC-502 are now used exclusively in servicing existing mobile air-conditioners (MACs), (cars, trucks and buses), domestic refrigerators and small commercial refrigeration equipment. In most countries, the servicing of MACs is the largest ongoing use of CFCs.

Project goals/objectives:

Goal: To completely phase-out the use of the most commonly used and harmful ozone depleting substances, CFCs, by the year 2005.

Objectives:

1) To strengthen institutions by establishing National Compliance Centres in all core and additional countries of the Regional Strategy;

2) To establish national controls (regulations, licensing and monitoring systems) on the import of ozone depleting substances;

3) To build capacity through training programmes on "good practices in refrigeration" (for refrigeration technicians) and on "control of ODS imports" (for customs officers).

Staff member responsible:

Project Officer: Nirupa Ram

Programme element:

Donor(s):

Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund Secretariat, which includes the bilateral contribution from the Government of Australia.

Period:

October 2002 - October 2005

Budget:

US$788,800

Collaborators:

Countries involved:

Parties to the "Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" ie:

1) Core countries: Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu;

2) Non-core countries: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa. These countries are working on their own phase-out plans with direct assistance from the Multilateral Fund and UNEP;

3) Additional countries of the Regional Strategy: Cook Islands, Nauru and Niue.

Agencies Involved:

UNEP DTIE (Division of Technology, Industry and Economics), UNEP ROAP (Regional Office for Asia and Pacific), Australia's Department of the Environment and Heritage, and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Latest progress summary::

Report of the 6th Monthly Progress on the Regional Implementation of the Montreal Protocol in the Pacific region - available upon request.

Implementation details:

The Pacific ODS Project is implemented in accordance to Project Documents agreed to by SPREP-UNEP, and SPREP-core countries through a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreements are an outcome of the approved "Regional Strategy to Implement the Montreal Protocol in PICs" by the Executive Committee of UNEP's Multilateral Fund. The "Regional Strategy" is based on each core country's National Compliance Action Plan (NCAP).

Certain activities and plans were identified in each NCAP to enable the complete phase-out of CFCs by year 2005. These include awareness-raising, establishment of appropriate controls on the import of ODS as well as licensing and monitoring systems, training of customs officials on the monitor and control of ODS imports, introducing tax incentives to promote the use of substitutes and alternative technologies, banning new installations and equipment using controlled ODS, and banning imports of CFCs and other ODS with exemptions for "essential uses". In addition, refrigeration technicians are trained on "Good Practices in Refrigeration".