During the Regular Press Conference held by Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) on 26 July 2021, Mr. Liu Youbin, the spokesman of MEE, said China will incorporate hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) control into national legal system in response to questions raised by journalist regarding HFCs control.

Journalist of Nanfang Metropolis Daily: It is understood that China has officially accepted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and it will enter into force for China on 15 September. What arrangements will be in place for China to implement the Kigali Amendment and strengthen the control of HFCs?

Liu Youbin: During the China-France-Germany leaders' climate video summit on 16 April 2021, President Xi Jinping officially announced that China had decided to accept the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (hereinafter referred to as the Kigali Amendment) to strengthen the control of HFCs and other non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases, so as to launch a new historical chapter for China in implementing the Protocol and addressing climate change. On 17 June 2021, the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations deposited its acceptance letter of the Kigali Amendment with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Kigali Amendment will enter into force for China on 15 September 2021 (temporarily not applicable to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China).

Although HFCs, the frequently-used alternatives to ozone depleting substances (ODS), are non-ozone depleting chemicals, they are greenhouse gases. The implementation of the Kigali Amendment will bring about significant environmental benefits to the protection of ozone layer and addressing climate change. As the largest developing country, China will devote extraordinarily hard efforts to implementing the Kigali Amendment in the future, which will also provide new opportunities for industrial development. As a responsible member of the international community, China will strictly fulfill its international commitments and carry out pragmatic, transparent and in-depth international cooperation with all parties and make contributions to global environmental governance.

The first is to incorporate HFCs control into national legal system. The revision of the Regulations on Administration of Ozone Depleting Substances was conducted, the adjustment of The Catalogue of Controlled Ozone Depleting Substances in China and The Catalogue of Ozone Depleting Substances Under Import and Export Control in China was launched, so as to incorporate HFCs control into the scope of legal system and implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

The second is to incorporate the HFCs phase-down plan into the China’s Country Program for Ozone Depleting Substances Phase-out. It is planned to carry out HFCs data collection and analysis as well as industrial investigation, study and propose relevant fields, roadmap and policy measures for HFCs future reduction.

The third is to establish and implement HFCs import and export licensing system. Preparation for HFCs import and export HS code was started jointly with MEE and other relevant ministries. The ODS Import and Export Management Approval System has been further expanded and transformed to include HFCs in the approval system.

The fourth is to develop and promulgate policy measures on HFC-23 control. HFC-23 is a by-product of unexpected emissions during the chemical process. In accordance with relevant requirements, China will study and formulate policy measures on HFC-23 control to regulate and guide the emissions control of HFC-23 in relevant enterprises.