‘New challenges’ for China in crackdown on ozone-destroying chemicals

Environment Minister Li Ganjie says next phase of adhering to Montreal Protocol needs government to improve policies and strengthen supervision

Study found China was responsible for half of the global rise in banned CFC emissions

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Chinese authorities says they have cracked down on illegal production after the rise in CFC-11 emissions. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 2:00pm, 17 Sep 2019Updated: 2:34pm, 17 Sep 2019

China faces “new challenges” when it comes to cracking down on the production of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer, the country’s environment minister has said, adding that Beijing has shown “zero tolerance” to violators.

The country was criticised earlier this year after a study by the journal Nature said it was responsible for around half of the global rise in the banned ozone-destroying refrigerant trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11).

Beijing has insisted it is doing all it can to prohibit the use of CFC-11, one of the chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol which pledged to phase out all global CFC production by 2010.

China ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1991. It said last year it had already eliminated as much as 280,000 tonnes of annual ozone-depleting substances manufacturing capacity.

Environment Minister Li Ganjie vows that China will fulfil its obligations to reduce emissions. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese authorities had responded to the global rise in CFC-11 this year by carrying out more “special enforcement actions” to crack down on illegal production, Environment Minister Li Ganjie said at an event to mark the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on Monday.