APIA (Pacnews) — A Pacific regional strategy for the Montreal Protocol, that targets the removal of ozone depleting substances across the globe, has been given the go ahead.
Recently approved by the Protocol’s executive committee, and with multilateral backing of $788,700, the strategy was developed jointly by the Australian and New Zealand governments, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program and the South Pacific Regional Environment Program. The Montreal Protocol calls on countries to phase out the use of ozone depleting substances that are harmful to human and animal life.
The Pacific region is comprised of some of the least developed countries and most geographically isolated islands and territories in the world. While among the smallest consumers of ODS on the planet, these are used in areas critical to their social and economic development that includes fishing and tourism.
The executive committee says it appreciates the political commitment of Pacific island countries to the protection of the ozone layer. The objectives of the strategy are to assist the rapid phase out of chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, (used widely in refrigerants and air conditioning units) in 11 Pacific island countries and territories by the end of 2005.
The eight Pacific countries and territories involved in the strategy are the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
