China makes significant contribution to ozone layer recovery

BEIJING, Sept. 16 -- China has eliminated approximately 628,000 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in production and usage, accounting for over half of the total that has been phased out by developing countries to date, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Yu Huiwen said on Tuesday.

Yu made the remarks at a conference in Beijing marking the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

Since the convention was signed 40 years ago, the international community has united and cooperated based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to eliminate ozone-depleting substances, promoting the recovery of the ozone layer as well as green, low-carbon industrial development, Yu said.

China joined the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1991 and accepted the Kigali Amendment in 2021, strengthening its control over non-carbon-dioxide greenhouse gases like hydrofluorocarbons. As a key participant of the convention and protocol, China has made significant contribution to the recovery of the ozone layer and addressing climate change, he said.

Yu said that China will continue to support ozone layer protection, climate response and sustainable development worldwide through measures such as improved policy frameworks and enhanced international cooperation.

Through global collaborative efforts, 99 percent of ozone-depleting substances have been phased out, and the ozone layer is healing steadily, according to Megumi Seki, executive secretary of the Ozone Secretariat. China has played a leading role in the process of eliminating ozone-depleting substances, Seki added.