(Originally published on 07/03/2015)

The second coordination meeting on HCFC chemical Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) was held on July 3^rd and 4^th . As the lead agency coordinating all the international organizations working under the HPMP, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) co-chaired the meeting with the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office of Ministry of Environmental Protection (FECO/MEP). Representatives from the government, technical experts from industry associations and technical institutions were also present.

The HCFCs are one class of chemicals being widely used in the industrial sectors. They contain harmful elements that when used in manufacturing industries emit ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

The main objective of the meeting was to assess progress of current activities and to prepare for the second stage of the HPMP in many sectors including foam, solvent, refrigeration and air conditioning, industrial and commercial refrigeration. Using the field data collected and analyzed from the first stage of the plan, projects and related policies were discussed.

“China has made significant progress and breakthrough in the first stage of HCFC Phase out Management Plan,” Commented Chen Liang, Director of FECO during the meeting. He also stressed that the great results achieved were the result of good cooperation between the Chinese government and the international organizations.

The first stage of the HPMP achieved major milestones in regards to HCFC phase-out policies, production and consumption. Regarding policies, the quota system controlling production, use, import and export of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) was successfully implemented nationwide. Moreover, five HCFC production enterprises signed closure contracts, phasing out about 59,000 tons of HCFC. Another 25 manufacturers have agreed on the annual quota of 367,000 tons of HCFC production. On the consumption side, six industries have signed a total of 122 contracts which means 39,000 tons of HCFC, worth about US $ 210 million has been phased out. Overall, 96 percent of all objectives under phase one of the management plan were achieved.

Looking ahead, Balaji Natarajan, Technical Specialist from UNDP suggested that the adoption of low Global Warming Potential (GWP) technologies, cost effectiveness and safe operation of these technologies would be key considerations to ensure sustainable business operations from small-medium enterprises in the second phase. Taking the example of refrigerants he said that regulation and enforcement of standards could help China in boosting adoption of low-GWP refrigerants.

Working together with FECO, UNDP from 2011 worked on regulation supervision, common technology development, safety assessment, and advocacy training and market promotion, to enhance use of alternative technologies in sectors such as the solvent and industrial/commercial refrigerator industries. Successes from the first phase promise more triumphs in phasing out HCFC chemicals in the next phase, eventually eliminating them in the near future.