“Since its approval of the Montreal Protocol in 1994, Vietnam has issued many documents to reduce the use of ozone depleting substances,” said Nguyen Khac Hieu, Vice Director of the Department of International Relations, at a press briefing in Hanoi on September 13.

Two of the documents are a decree on forbidding the importation of freezing equipment that use CFCs (chloroflourocarbonse) - one of the 10 major substances that deplete the ozone layer - and a joint circular on the import and export of ozone depleting substances between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the MoNRE.

In an attempt to help Vietnam effectively implement the protocol, the Ozone Multilateral Fund granted US$6.3 million last year to help local businesses boost technology transfer, focusing on producing and repairing refrigerators and car air conditioners that use ozone depleting substances.

The fund also provided technical assistance to improve State agencies’ management capacity to control these substances.

Thanks to these efforts, the total volume of such ozone depleting substances as CFC 11 and CFC 12 used in the country has been reduced to 75 tonnes at present from 500 tonnes in the 1990s. The combined amount of other ozone depleting substances now stands at some 2,300 tonnes.

Vietnam also worked out a plan of action to phase out local consumption of CFC and Halon by 2010 and all other ozone depleting substances by 2040 under its commitments to the Montreal Protocol.

The action plan aims to collect and recycle Halon, regularly monitor the use of freezing gas in car air conditioners and provide technical equipment for businesses that turn out products using ozone depleting substances.