April 2, 2004

Montreal 2 April 2004 – 44 developing countries receive additional funds to protect the ozone layer

A further US$ 74 million has been provided from the Multilateral Fund to 44 developing countries to phase out over 8000 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs, carbon tetrachloride, TCA, halons, and methyl bromide.  The Multilateral Fund, currently standing at US$ 2 billion fund, was set up to assist developing countries to comply with the terms of the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement that sets out a timetable for the phase out of ozone-depleting substances in both developed and developing countries.

At their meeting in Montreal, the birthplace of the Protocol, the Executive Committee also approved financing for projects and activities to assist Côte d’Ivoire and Mexico phase out their use of methyl bromide, a substance considered to be particularly harmful to the ozone layer. Methyl bromide is used as a fumigant for high‑value crops, for pest control and for the quarantine treatment of agricultural commodities and timbers awaiting export.   Under the Montreal Protocol, developing countries are committed to reducing their methyl bromide use by 20% no later than 2007 and phasing it out completely by 1 January 2015.  

Following up on the outcome of last week’s extraordinary meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol to discuss the timetable for the ban on the production and consumption of methyl bromide in developed countries, the Executive Committee is looking at further ways of assisting developing countries to implement the ban. The next Executive Committee meeting in July 2004 will examine this issue in more depth.

The Executive Committee of the Fund also committed US$ 31 million of funding for national plans in Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Sri Lanka  and Venezuela  that will phase out  the combined consumption of more than 8,000 tonnes of CFCs  over the next few years.  In the Latin American region and in India the phase-out of CFCs is fully coordinated with reductions in CFC production. As CFC consumption is reduced, a concomitant reduction in CFC production will take place through agreements that are either already in place or now being completed.

Background information

            The ozone layer which absorbs ultraviolet radiation harmful to living organisms and human health, is in danger from several chemicals currently used in industry and agriculture such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and methyl bromide.

            The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol began its operation in 1991. The main objective of the Multilateral Fund is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone-depleting substances is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. These countries are referred to as Article 5 countries.

            The 2 billion dollar Fund is managed by an Executive Committee chaired in 2004 by Marcia Levaggi of Argentina, Paul Krajnik of Austria the Vice Chair. The Committee is assisted by the Fund Secretariat which is based in Montreal. Activities are implemented by four international agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank) and a number of bilateral government agencies.  Responsibility for overseeing the operation of the Fund rests with the Executive Committee comprising seven members each from developed (Austria, Belgium, Canada, Hungary, Japan, United Kingdom and the USA) and developing countries (Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Cuba, Iran, Niger and Mauritius).  Since 1991, the Multilateral Fund has approved activities including industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building worth approximately US $1.6 billion that will result in the phase out of approximately 180,000 tonnes of consumption and production of ozone-depleting substances in developing countries.

For further information, please contact:

Julia Anne Dearing
Information Management Officer
Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
1800 McGill College, 27th floor
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 3J6
Phone: (1-514) 282-1122
Fax: (1-514) 282-0068
E-mail:  secretariat@unmfs.org

Website: www.multilateralfund.org

December 24, 2003

Montreal, Canada– US $96 million approved to assist developing countries in their efforts to phase out the production an

            An additional US $96 million is to be made available immediately to 60 developing countries to assist their industries phase out substances that harm the ozone layer.  Last week the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol held its forty-first meeting in Montreal (Canada) to consider 192 projects and activities submitted by 73 countries.  This was the second largest single funding approval in the history of the Multilateral Fund.

            The Committee agreed to commit a further US $31 million that will lead to the phase-out of carbon tetrachloride in North Korea and Pakistan, and all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in Colombia, Ecuador, Iran, Lesotho, Libya and Mauritius, as well as the total phase-out of ozone depleting solvents in Chile, Jamaica, Romania and Turkey.  In addition, the funds provided will convert Cuba’s industry from the use of CFCs in metered dose inhalers used primarily to deliver medication to asthma sufferers, to ozone friendly alternatives. 

            The funds will also permit another 12 smaller countries in Africa, south-east Asia, and the Caribbean to implement projects to manage and reduce their consumption of ozone depleting refrigerants.  While these countries consume less ozone depleting substances, they are fully committed to meet their obligations under the Protocol and are provided with appropriate assistance from the Multilateral Fund to enable them to do so. 

            The Montreal Protocol requires that developing countries phase-out 85 per cent of their baseline consumption of carbon tetrachloride and 50 per cent of their consumption of CFCs by 1 January 2005. 

            Overall, the funding committed at the 41^st Meeting will lead to additional phase-out of a total of about 9,000 tonnes of consumption of ozone depleting substances.

Background information

            The ozone layer which absorbs ultraviolet radiation harmful to living organisms and human health, is in danger from several chemicals currently used in industry and agriculture such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and methyl bromide.

            The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol began its operation in 1991. The main objective of the Multilateral Fund is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone depleting substances is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. These countries are referred to as Article 5 countries.

            The 2 billion dollar Fund is managed by an Executive Committee chaired in 2003 by Ambassador Tadanori Inomata of Japan; El Salvador’s José Orlando Altamirano is the Vice Chair. The Committee is assisted by the Fund Secretariat which is based in Montreal. Activities are implemented by four international agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank) and a number of bilateral government agencies.  Responsibility for overseeing the operation of the Fund rests with the Executive Committee comprising seven members each from developed (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, Japan, and the USA) and developing countries (Bolivia, Burundi, El Salvador, India, Jordan, Mauritius and Saint Lucia).  Since 1991, the Multilateral Fund has approved activities including industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building worth approximately US $1.6 billion that will result in the phase-out of approximately 180,000 tonnes of consumption and production of ozone depleting substances in developing countries.

For further information, please contact:

Julia Anne Dearing
Information Management Officer
Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
1800 McGill College, 27th floor
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 3J6
Phone: (1-514) 282-1122 Fax: (1-514) 282-0068
E-mail:  secretariat@unmfs.org

July 24, 2003

Montreal, Canada - US$ 100 million to halt the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in India, Mexico

            Almost US$ 100 million will be made available to India, Mexico, North Korea and Trinidad and Tobago to assist their industries phase-out substances that harm the ozone layer.  Last week the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol held its fortieth meeting in Montreal (Canada) and resolved to assist these and 21 other developing countries to advance their elimination of ozone depleting substances.

            India will receive a total of US$ 52 million to completely phase-out its production and consumption of the toxic chemical carbon tetrachloride.  Funds are also targeted at phasing out CFCs which are still used in refrigerators and air conditioners; these ozone depleting substances can remain in the atmosphere for decades or longer. Therefore, about US$ 32 million from the Multilateral Fund will go to Mexico which has agreed to the gradual cessation of its CFC production.  Closure of Mexico’s CFC production capacity, currently estimated at 13,000 tonnes per annum, will significantly reduce the availability of CFCs in neighbouring countries and thus accelerate their replacement with substitutes that do not harm the ozone layer.   North Korea and Trinidad and Tobago will also receive funding to phase-out all of their consumption of CFCs.

            Overall, the funding committed at the 40th meeting will lead to additional phase-out of a total of around 12,000 tonnes of consumption and about 9,000 tonnes of production of ozone depleting substances.

Background information

            The ozone layer which absorbs ultraviolet radiation harmful to living organisms and human health, is in danger from several chemicals currently used in industry and agriculture such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and methyl bromide.

            The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol began its operation in 1991. The main objective of the Multilateral Fund is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone depleting substances is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. These countries are referred to as Article 5 countries.

            The 2 billion dollar Fund is managed by an Executive Committee chaired by Ambassador Tadanori Inomata of Japan; El Salvador’s José Orlando Altamirano is the Vice Chair. The Committee is assisted by the Fund Secretariat which is based in Montreal. Activities are implemented by four international agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank) and a number of bilateral government agencies.  Responsibility for overseeing the operation of the Fund rests with the Executive Committee comprising seven members each from developed (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, Japan, and the USA) and developing countries (Bolivia, Burundi, El Salvador, India, Jordan, Mauritius and Saint Lucia).  Since 1991, the Multilateral Fund has approved activities including industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building worth approximately US$ 1.5 billion that will result in the phase-out of approximately 180,000 tonnes of consumption and production of ozone depleting substances in developing countries.

For further information, please contact:

Julia Anne Dearing
Information Management Officer\
Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
1800 McGill College, 27th floor
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 3J6
Phone: (1-514) 282-1122 
Fax: (1-514) 282-0068
E-mail:  secretariat@unmfs.org

January 11, 2003

Montreal, Canada - Planning for further phase out of ozone depleting substances in developing countries

            At its first meeting in 2003, held in Montreal on 2-3 April, the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund approved US$ 52 million to 50 developing country Parties to the Montreal Protocol to phase out an additional 8,000 tonnes of ozone depleting substances that harm the ozone layer. The funding includes US$ 33 million as part of agreements worth US$ 230 million for China, which has agreed to phase out its production and consumption of ozone depleting substances; China being the largest remaining country in the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances.  The funding also includes an additional US$ 6 million to India as part of US $82 million funding agreement for the closure of its CFC production.  Smaller amounts of funding were assigned to Albania, Croatia and Papua New Guinea (characterized as low-volume consuming countries) for activities that aim to completely phase out the use of ozone depleting substances in those countries.  

            The Multilateral Fund was set up in 1991 to assist developing countries to comply with their obligations to phase out substances that damage the ozone layer. Since 1991 the Multilateral Fund has provided developing countries with over US$ 1.5 billion for this purpose.  130 developing countries have received assistance from the Fund, ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to tens of millions of dollars.  In November 2002, the Parties to the Montreal Protocol approved a fourth replenishment of the Multilateral Fund amounting to US $474 million for the triennium 2003-2005.  This brings the total funding so far approved to over US $2 billion for the period 1991-2005.  This fourth replenishment will finance countries’ compliance with specific targets in 2005 and 2007. Developing countries have agreed to specific reductions in the consumption and production of ozone depleting substances by 2005 and 2007, and have agreed to eliminate their use completely by 2010.

            At a time when the use of public funds for international efforts comes under increasing scrutiny and critical analysis, the Multilateral Fund provides an example of how the effective management of public finance can achieve internationally negotiated goals within specific deadlines. The Multilateral Fund’s strategy is based on a compliance driven business-planning approach.  The amount of ozone depleting chemicals phase out needed for each country in 2003, 2004 and 2005 has been calculated so that resources can be targeted to countries appropriately.

Background information

            The ozone layer which absorbs ultraviolet radiation harmful to living organisms and human health, is in danger from several chemicals currently used in industry and agriculture such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform and methyl bromide.

            The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol began its operation in 1991. The main objective of the Multilateral Fund is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ozone depleting substances is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. These countries are referred to as Article 5 countries.

            The Fund is managed by an Executive Committee and assisted by the Fund Secretariat which is based in Montreal. It is implemented by four international agencies (UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, World Bank) and a number of bilateral government agencies (e.g., CFD, CIDA, GTZ, etc.).  Responsibility for overseeing the operation of the Fund rests with an Executive Committee comprising seven members each from developed and developing countries.  Since 1991, the Multilateral Fund has approved activities including industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building worth approximately US$ 1.5 billion that will result in the phase out of approximately 180,000 tonnes of consumption and production of ozone depleting substances in developing countries.

For further information, please contact:

Julia Anne Dearing
Information Management Officer
Secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
1800 McGill College, 27th floor
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 3J6
Phone: (1-514) 282-1122 
Fax: (1-514) 282-0068
E-mail:  secretariat@unmfs.org