Recently, with the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued the "National Plan for China's Implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (2025-2030)" (hereinafter referred to as the "National Plan"). Relevant officials from the Department of Atmospheric Environment of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment answered reporters' questions about the background and main contents of the release of the "National Plan".
Q: What is the background for the launch of the National Plan?
Answer: The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the implementation of international environmental conventions. Since 1991, my country has conscientiously fulfilled its international obligations and eliminated a total of about 628,000 tons of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), accounting for more than half of the elimination in developing countries, which has been widely praised by the international community.
In 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping officially announced my country's decision to accept the Kigali Amendment to the protocol to strengthen the control of non-CO2 greenhouse gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). In 2024, the "Decision of the State Council on Amending the Regulations on the Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances" was officially implemented, stipulating that "the State Council's ecological and environmental authorities shall, together with relevant departments of the State Council, formulate the "National Plan for China's Implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" and implement it after approval by the State Council". The preparation and release of the "National Plan" based on this is an important measure to implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and is an inevitable requirement for comprehensively strengthening the management of ODS and HFCs and achieving national compliance goals. It is of great significance to promote the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of related industries.
Q: What are the compliance objectives and overall considerations set out in the National Plan?
Answer: The National Plan specifies the following compliance targets: First, continue to prohibit the production and use of phased-out ODS for controlled purposes, further consolidate the results, and ensure sustainable compliance. Second, the production and use of HCFCs for controlled purposes will be reduced by 67.5% and 73.2% of the baseline values in 2025, and by 97.5% of the baseline values in 2030. Third, the production and use of HFCs for controlled purposes will be reduced by 10% of the baseline values in 2029.
Q: What action plans does the National Plan propose to achieve the compliance targets?
Answer: The National Plan proposes four major action measures and 11 specific tasks.
1. Strengthen source control and strictly manage the production and sales of controlled substances.
2. Strengthen process control and enhance the management of the use of controlled substances.
3. Improve end-of-pipe management and strengthen maintenance, recycling, reuse and destruction management.
4. Strengthen import and export management, and prevent and control trade risks of materials.
