By MediaGlobal News Service
16 December 2008 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: Malaysia announced the development of a national plan to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), an ozone depleting substance, in order to meet its goals of completely removing the use of HCFCs by 2030. During a two-day workshop organized by the Malaysian Department of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a draft was developed to be presented to the industry stakeholders in April 2009. The Multilateral Fund (MLF) of the Montreal Protocol approved $173, 750 to be provided to the Malaysian Department of Environment through UNDP to develop a plan to phase-out HCFC in the foam, refrigerant, solvent and halon sectors. Asfaazam Kasbani, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative (Energy and Environment) for Malaysia told MediaGlobal, “The funding will be used for a detailed survey on HCFC consumption for the years 2008 and 2009 for the sectors mentioned. Based on the results of the survey, the government and industry will decide on a mutually agreeable ‘freeze level,’ following which a staggered phase-out plan will be implemented in the year 2013. Thus, every year we will see a decreasing amount of HCFC being consumed by Malaysians.” The government is calling on stakeholders, specifically in the mentioned industries, to give their full cooperation in the development of a comprehensive phase-out plan. In a statement at the workshop, Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Y.B. Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said he was confident in the Malaysian government’s ability to successfully implement the plan because “Malaysia had successfully reduced her consumptions of ozone-depleting substances and chlorofluorocarbons from 4193.6 Metric Tonnes in 1990 to 234 Metric Tonnes in 2007,” both of which are part of the Montreal Protocol along with HCFCs. The plan is specifically important because Malaysia, along with the other 192 Montreal Protocol member countries, agreed in September 2007 to phase-out the consumption of HCFCs by 2030.
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