China will take stronger efforts to phase out ozone depleting substances (ODS) and is confident of realizing zero major ODS production and consumption by 2010, an official with the state environmental authority said Wednesday.

Li Xinmin, deputy director of the Pollution Control Department of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), made the remarks at a joint network meeting of ODS officers in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific region, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program.

Since ratifying the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Ozone Protection Protocol, China had earnestly honored its obligations by carrying out ODS phase-out activities in various sectors, he said.

By the end of 2004, CFCs production and consumption in China had been reduced by 40 percent and 55 percent, respectively, from levels in 1997. Meanwhile, Halon production and consumption had been cut by 85 percent.

China is also committed to stopping the production and consumption of CFCs and CFC-11, used as blowing agents in the PU foam sector, by July 1, 2007, except those for that are essential.

"This means that China will reach the target two and a half years ahead of the schedule in the Montreal protocol," Li said.

The period from 2006 to 2008 will be key for China to implement the convention and protocol, as the country will shift its focus from investment activities in phasing out ODS production and consumption to non-investment activities in strengthening supervision of ODS production and consumption.

China began to draft the ODS management regulations in 2004 so as to crack down on the illegal production, consumption and trade of ODS with legal instruments, he said.

Speaking at the meeting, Maria Nolan, chief officer of the secretariat of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, said that one of the big challenges in the region is the need to monitor and achieve a balance between supply and demand for CFCs in the regions.

"There have been encouraging developments within India and China in controlling the flow of ODS across the borders," she said.

Nolan said that the fund's executive committee had approved China's request to advance the complete phase out of CFC production from 2010 to 2007.

"This will certainly have an impact on reducing global supply of CFCs," she said.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Vienna Convention, and a series of events will be held in Vienna to mark the occasion, according to the Secretariat for the Vienna convention and Montreal protocol.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2005)