Good Morning, your Excellency Mr Zhu Guangyao, Vice minister of the State Environmental Protection Agency, distinguish representatives of the Environmental Protection Bureaus,  representatives of the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, the Implementing Agencies,  Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honour for the United Nations Environmental Programme and for the Ozone Secretariat to participate with you celebrating the International Ozone Day.   

    Before coming to the city of Changchun, we have visited the cities of  Shenzhen and Wuhan, together these three beautiful cities proudly represent the level and status of development in different sectors and areas of modern China. We had a first hand information of the efforts and the challenges that you are facing to successfully address compliance with and enforcement of the national Ozone Depletion Substances Plan and I wish to thank SEPA and the Cities’authorities for organizing such important visits.

    Distinguish participants, before proceeding further in my brief statement, I would like to quote the message of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Koffi Anan for this day.
    Start of quote “The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is effective and working.  Since the entry into force of this multilateral environmental agreement, there has been tremendous progress in global efforts to repair the ozone layer.  As a consequence, there are now early signs that we are on the road to recovery of this precious life-support system. 

    In the latest of a series of scientific assessments conducted under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 300 scientists from 34 countries of the developed and developing world have found clear evidence of a decrease in the abundance of ozone-depleting substances in the lower atmosphere, as well as indications that their destructive impact in the stratosphere has also started to decline.

    Improved chemistry-climate modelling used in the assessments has given us a more accurate estimate of the expected dates for total ozone layer recovery.  In the mid-latitudes and the Arctic, recovery is now anticipated around 2049, five years later than was previously estimated.  In Antarctica, recovery is expected by about 2065, fifteen years later than the previous estimate.

    The assessment’s findings are solid evidence that the international community’s has delivered on its promises.  As noted by the eminent scientists in the assessment report, however, failure to comply with the Protocol would delay or could even prevent recovery of the ozone layer.  I therefore urge all countries to reaffirm their commitment to implementation.  The work is still unfinished, and it is only through persistent dedication over the course of this century that our generation and future generations will realize the benefits of full ozone layer recovery.”  (end of quote)

    1-Mr Zhu, distinguish participants, as the Secretary General of the United Nations is reporting in his message, the Montreal Protocol is working and the global efforts to protect the ozone layer are effective. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that those efforts have progressed through different phases. The early years of the Montreal Protocol were about developing a common understanding on what the issue was and what the road map was, we can call that the “credibility phase”, as all stakeholders were approaching the issues from different perspectives.  Then we moved into what we would call the “reality phase” where the science underpinning it and the urgency to act was universally recognized. And now we are in the “accountability phase”, where we are seeing whether we were correct about the science and even more important whether the actions taken by individual countries and the world community in its entirety are achieving the expected results.     

    2-I am please to report today that the global effort to phase out Ozone depleting substances is well documented as shown in the following two charts:

    •The first one presents the reduction to near zero consumption of CFCs and halons by developed countries.
    •The second chart shows that the developing countries have made an extraordinary effort to reach the 2005 control measure. In fact they achieved an extra 20% additional reduction one year earlier than what is mandated under the Protocol.
    •The third chart shows China’s significant reductions in CFCs and halons consumption.

    3-Your Excellency, distinguish participants,  this celebration in Changchun is indeed very timely as China’s efforts to protect the global environment approaches the milestone of total production phase out of CFCs and Halons. Undoubtly, this challenge is of great magnitude as China remains the largest producer and consumer of the world hence the final success of the Montreal Protocol depends on the success of China’s efforts to lead and pave the way to other developing countries to fully implement their ozone commitments.

    4-China’s  commitment under the Montreal Protocol, clearly signals your global environmental leadership in the protection of the Ozone Layer, moreover, it highlights that China’s contributions to protect the global commons go hand and hand with China’s increasingly important role in world affairs.

    5-Finally, Mr Zho, distinguish participants, I would like to reassure you that world community, the United Nations Environmental Programme and the Ozone Secretariat remains ready to work with you as you move forward and at the same time recognize the efforts and salute the commitment of the Government of China, of SEPA and all the actors at the city level to achieving the total phase out of CFCs and Halons  by 1st July 2007. As a recognition of all your efforts I would like to present this award to SEPA on the occasion of the celebration of the International Ozone Day.