Ozone-Layer Protection in Taiwan

THE GLOBAL CONSENSUS

Scientists as early as 1974 demonstrated that the stratospheric ozone is being destroyed by chlorofluorocarbons (commonly called CFCs), which has been extensively used in aerosol sprays, refrigerators, air conditioners, and foams. When CFCs reach up to the stratosphere, where with intense UV radiation, will exacerbate the bond breaking of CFC molecules. Subsequently, chlorine atoms are released to initiate the ozone depletion reactions. As estimated, one chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before finally being removed from the stratosphere. Discovery of an ozone hole over the Antarctic Circle in 1985 verified this theory.

In light of the negative impact of ozone depletion on the global environment, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) convened governments worldwide to derive a solution. In March 1985, the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer was adopted. In September 1987, the Montreal Protocol established compulsory global mandates to limit the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), and started with 5 CFCs and 3 halons. In June 1990, the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (2nd MOP) took place in London, the London Amendment resulted in adding 10 more halogenated CFCs, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform, MCF) to the list of the controlled substances. In November 1992, the 4th MOP took place in Copenhagen. During this event, the Protocol was further amended to add hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs), and methyl bromide to the chemicals to be phased out. The Copenhagen Amendment also resulted in accelerating the previous timetables for phasing out halons by January 1, 1994 and CFCs, MCF, CCl4, HBFCs by January 1, 1996, as well as freezing the level of HCFC consumption in 1996.

In 1995, delegates to the 7th MOP in Vienna consented to lower the HCFCs cap set in the Copenhagen Amendment from 3.1% to 2.8%. The final decisions included completely phasing out HCFCs by 2030. However, 0.5% of the calculated level of consumption is restricted to the servicing of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment for the final ten years (from 2020 to 2030). Moreover, the decisions included the complete phase-out of production and consumption of methyl bromide by 2010, but the quarantine and pre-shipment uses are exempted. In September 1997, the 9th MOP held in Montreal, delegates agreed to move forward the phase-out of methyl bromide to 2005 from 2010. Despite the fact that the Meeting did not accelerate the phasing-out HCFCs. In November 1999, the 11th MOP held in Beijing, participants reached agreement on the Beijing Amendment. The decision on the Beijing Amendment covered the control measure of HCFCs production and the listing of bromochloromethane as a new controlled substance.

The Montreal Protocol emerged as an effective means of resolving environmental problems in a global scale in 1990s. 175 countries have already become Parties by September 28, 2000. Industrialized countries (non-Article 5 Parties) have phased out CFCs, halons, CCl4, and MCF and started controlling the consumption of HCFCs and methyl bromide, some countries even established a schedule to prohibit the use of HCFCs in various applications. In July 1999, developing countries (Article 5 Parties) concerted their efforts on freezing their CFC consumption levels. In September 2000, the NASA spectrometer detected an Antarctic ozone "hole" (commonly referred to as an "ozone depletion area" among scientists) that is three times larger than the entire land mass of the United States - the largest such area ever observed. Recovering the ozone layer by 2050 will be impossible unless the Montreal Protocol and its Amendments and Adjustments are fully complied with.

In addition to ozone protection related issues, the growing number of signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also attests that the greenhouse effect has received increasing attention. In the third Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. The agreement stipulates that in the Annex 1 Parties to the UNFCCC, their collective emissions of six greenhouse gases that are CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, and SF6, would be 5.2% below 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008 to 2012. HFCs are normally used as alternatives for CFCs and HCFCs. However, it is one of the greenhouse gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol. For long-term benefits, the industries should pay attention to the potential effects of ozone depletion and global warming when selecting alternative technologies. While attempting to harmonize the aspirations of both the Montreal Protocol and the Kyoto Protocol, high priority should be placed on eliminating any substantive contradictions among preventing ozone depletion and global warming.

THE R.O.C. GOVENMENT'S COMMITMENT

The R.O.C. Government has actively participated in various environmental issues. The Department of Health banned the use of CFCs in cosmetic aerosol sprays in May 1983. Immediately following the adopting of the Montreal Protocol, the Government expressed its desire to become a signatory of the Protocol to fulfill its obligation to protect the global environment. The Government announced that it would comply with the Montreal Protocol in controlling and reducing the production and consumption of ODS. The Government has commissioned Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to conduct research and development regarding ODS reduction measures and technologies. As an observer, the ITRI has attended several Meetings of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol since 1990, and expressing the willingness to protect the ozone layer on behalf of the R.O.C. Government. Hoping that any international sanctions or negatively impacts to the economies could be averted.

In June 1989, the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs convened a task force on the Montreal Protocol that included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Executive Yuan's Environment Protection Administration, and ITRI. In August 1991, the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration established an inter-ministerial task force on the Montreal Protocol to reinforce the efforts on ozone layer protection. Later, in view of the connection between ozone depletion and global warming, the task force was expanded into the "Executive Yuan's Special Task Force on Global Environmental Changes" in May 1992. This body was later recognized into the "Committee on Global Change Policy, Executive Yuan " in August 1994. The Committee operates more effective than its predecessor, due to it has program specific staffs allocated to handle administrative tasks. Later, the Executive Yuan organized a "National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD)" in August 1997. This Council comprised of eleven working groups to address pertinent issues. The "Working Group for Atmospheric Protection and Energy" actively responds to the mandates of the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In November 1992, members from the government, industry, and academia established the "Association of Ozone Layer Protection in Taiwan" to assist industries to stop the use of ODS. To further assist local industries in effectively controlling the greenhouse gases and addressing issues related to atmospheric protection, the Association changed its name in 1997 to the "Association of Atmosphere Protection in Taiwan, AAPT ". In December 1998, This Association and the Japan Industrial Conference for Ozone Layer Protection (JICOP) became the sister corporations for sharing the information and technologies in relation to the ozone layer protection.

The Taipei International Conference on Ozone Layer Protection was organized in 1989 and has been held biannually since. ITRI is responsible for coordinating related activities. Motivated by efforts to prevent global warming and ozone layer depletion, the Conference was renamed as the "Taipei International Conference on Atmosphere Protection" in 1999. The Conference invited renowned researchers and experts worldwide to present and discuss their works on diverse topics such as ozone layer protection, ODS alternative technologies, global warming policies, and greenhouse gases reduction. Moreover, ITRI has been a member of the international organization, the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, to gather the newest information and the latest technologies worldwide.

Following the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration, the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and related industries have worked diligently on protecting the ozone layer in Taiwan for the past decade. Including phased out halon consumption since January 1, 1994, the production and importation of CFC were stopped and HCFC consumption has been controlled since January 1, 1996. According to the Beijing Amendment, the non-Article 5 Parties will freeze HCFC production on January 1, 2004. However, CFCs and HCFCs were not produced yet in 1989 in Taiwan, thereby adjusting the cap set in the Beijing Amendment inapplicable to Taiwan. The Working Group for Atmospheric Protection and Energy of NCSD will determine the HCFC production cap, as well as the halon and CFC management strategies in Taiwan.

OUR EFFORTS

Protecting the ozone layer should not hinder continuous economic development. Under this premise, the R.O.C. Government began to implement controlling measures through regulatory vehicle, right after the declaration of its intention to comply with the Montreal Protocol in 1989. In compliance with governmental policies, the Formosa Plastics Corporation, which was the only company producing CFCs and HCFCs in Taiwan, has stopped its production of CFCs since January 1, 1996. Earlier than that, the Formosa Plastics Corporation also constructed a CFC incinerator with capacity of handling up to 7 tonnes daily by the technology assistance from Japan. Construction was completed in August 1994. The incinerator is used to handle the contaminated CFCs that cannot be recovered and the illegal CFCs from the customs.

From January 1996, the Government started to freeze the consumption of HCFCs. The cap, which is used as a baseline for R.O.C., is 638.156 ODP tonnes, and a HCFCs quota system was promulgated. The HCFCs quotas were permitted to the end-users, importers, and domestic producers accordingly. In compliance with the phase-out schedule of the Montreal Protocol, the consumption of HCFCs should not exceed zero by January 1, 2030.

Under the Montreal Protocol, the calculated level of consumption of HCFCs shall reduce 35% by 2004. To meet this quantitative limits, the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs commissioned ITRI two years ago to establish a schedule in Taiwan to stop the use of HCFCs in various applications. According to ITRI research, HCFCs should not be used in solvent cleaning after January 1, 2006 and foam blowing after 2008, and should not be used as the refrigerant after 2010 or later. The Government will announce the phase out date sequentially after discussing this schedule with relevant industrial sectors. The calculated level of HCFC consumption under the Montreal Protocol can hopefully be complied if the above schedule is adhered to.

By celebrating the 10th anniversary of the devotion on raising the awareness of the ozone layer protection in Taiwan, and in support of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, ITRI and AAPT were funded to hold the 1999 Taipei International Conference on Atmosphere Protection and the Painting Contest for Children. The latter is particularly important for educating children on the importance of protecting the ozone layer, reducing the greenhouse effect, and sustaining the air quality.

Phase-out schedule for Taiwan suggested by ITRI(2000.4) Ban on use from sector Use
2003.1.1 Solvent cleaning Electronics (For cleaning the information technology products)
Foam blowing For the soft and semi-rigid PU foam
2004.1.1 Solvent cleaning For cleaning non-electronic products
Foam blowing For the rigid PU foams not for insulation
For the rigid PU foams for normal temperature insulation
2006.1.1 Solvent cleaning Electronics (For cleaning the communication products)
Foam blowing For the polystyrene and polyolefin foam
2008.1.1 Foam blowing For the rigid PU foams for low temperature insulation
2010.1.1or later Refrigerant For the centralized air-conditioners
For the household air-conditioners
For the commercial showcases
For the transport refrigeration
For the vending machine and Residential Dehumidifiers
2030.1.1 Refrigerant For the servicing of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment

Technical Assistance---- 　　ITRI has developed, introduced, assessed, and promoted the use of ODS alternatives and recovering technologies. Notable achievements in this area include the following:
Analytical Methods
Established analytical methods for CFCs.
‧ Established analytical methods for halons.
‧ Established analytical methods for CFCs residues in foam products.
‧ Established analytical methods for the electronic-migration and surface insulation resistance on motherboards.
‧ Established a no-clean technology including reliability test on the reflow process of SMT for modem wiring communication products.
‧ Established a aqueous-clean technology and performed a reliability test of HHBT (High temperature High Humidity and Bias Test) and TC (Thermal Cycle) for the printed circuit board of a mobile phone.
‧ Completed the performance test of using R-407C for the specific compressor in household air conditioners.

Incentives----
‧Higher investment allowances and minimum interest rate loans are offered to ODS alternatives and ODS recycling facilities that have been certified as pollution prevention facilities.
‧Companies Adopt ODS alternatives and recycling facilities can report their depreciation at a more accelerated rate.
‧Equipment and appliances that are not locally available can be imported tariff free.
‧August 1991-The Ministry of Economic Affairs Industrial Development Bureau's "Regulations for Controlled Substances Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol" were revised according to the London Amendment.
‧Since 1993, the "R.O.C. Ozone Layer Protection Award" has been bestowed biannually upon organizations having excelled effort in reducing use of ODS. It was expanded to "R.O.C. Atmosphere Protection Award" in 1997. The Award is bestowed upon the organization that reduces the use of ODS, develops alternative technologies and, in doing so, prevents the greenhouse effect, and improves the air quality.
‧Since July 1995, tariff free status was made available for imported ODSs alternatives that are locally unavailable.

CFCs Alternative Technologies----
Completed development of the mobile air conditioning refrigerant's replacing and retrofitting technologies.
‧ Completed development of low-pressure refrigerant recovery technologies.
‧ Completed development of drinking fountain refrigerant with HCFC-22 retrofitting technology.
‧ Refrigerant recovery machines are commercially available.
‧ Completed development of blend refrigerant technologies to replace CFC-12.
‧ Completed research of non-CFC foaming technologies for PS and PE.
‧ Completed development of using HCFC-141b as the blowing agent in refrigerators.
‧ Assisted electronics, optical component manufacturers, and metal cleaning industries in developing alternative cleaning solvents.
‧ Set up a "no-clean" demonstration center of the Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) for the electronics industries.

HCFCs Alternative Technologies----
Completed development of the mobile air conditioning refrigerant's replacing and retrofitting technologies.
‧ Completed development of low-pressure refrigerant recovery technologies.
‧ Completed development of drinking fountain refrigerant with HCFC-22 retrofitting technology.
‧ Refrigerant recovery machines are commercially available.
‧ Completed development of blend refrigerant technologies to replace CFC-12.
‧ Completed research of non-CFC foaming technologies for PS and PE.
‧ Completed development of using HCFC-141b as the blowing agent in refrigerators.
‧ Assisted electronics, optical component manufacturers, and metal cleaning industries in developing alternative cleaning solvents.
‧ Set up a "no-clean" demonstration center of the Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) for the electronics industries.

Training Courses and Seminars

‧More than 2,500 technicians were trained to replace mobile air conditioning refrigerants.
‧A seminar was held to assist local electronic industries in effectively responding to the ODC excise tax while exporting products to the United States.
‧Invited general public to participate in "Run for the Ozone Layer Protection" , "Knowledge trip for the Atmosphere Protection - visiting the Central Weather Bureau" and the "Painting Competition for Children" to promote the concepts on ozone layer protection.
‧A seminar was held to assist the local industries in refrigerant 's alternative technology.
‧Workshops were held for setting the specific date to eliminate use of HCFCs in various sectors.
‧A seminar for customs inspectors was held to review the current policies aimed at stopping illegal imports.
‧Sponsored workshops to train custom inspectors to identify illegal CFCs imports.

Information Exchange

‧Since 1990, ITRI participated in the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties, and other international activities to exchange information and demonstrate our efforts on phasing out ODS.
‧Since 1989, the "Taipei International Conference on Ozone Layer Protection" has been held biannually to promote technologies and information exchanges. It was expanded to the "Taipei International Conference on Atmosphere Protection" in 1999. Many globally renowned scholars and experts on the atmosphere protection were invited, including Dr. Tolba, Professor Rowland, and Professor Molina who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for explaining how certain artificial chemicals can rise into the atmosphere and harm the ozone layer.
‧ITRI has been a member of the international organization, the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, for gathering the newest information.
‧On December 9, 1998, the Association of Atmosphere Protection in Taiwan and the Japan Industrial Conference for Ozone Layer Protection (JICOP) became the sister corporations for sharing information and technologies related to ozone layer protection.
‧ITRI has been browsing the ozone layer protection related web sites regularly in order to study the trend of global strategies and alternative technologies.
‧ITRI provided updated information and alternative technologies via a newsletter, hot line, user manuals, and special reports for local industries to solve ODS-related problems. ITRI also frequently sponsored technological seminars to facilitate efforts on developing ODS alternative technologies for the local industries.
‧ITRI built an Ozone Layer Protection Homepage as well as the Alternative Refrigerant Homepage on the Internet to provide the latest information on ODS related issues and alternative technologies of refrigerants, respectively.

Regulatory Measure----
1999
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that, starting from January 1, 2000, the halon fire extinguisher should not been imported. (November 11, 1999)
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that, starting from January 1, 2000, HCFCs should not be used while manufacturing motherboards, personal computers (only the motherboard and the interface cards in the laptop or the notebook), and mouse. (June 24, 1999)
1997
-The Executive Yuan's Council of Agriculture revised "Regulations for Controlled Substances Methyl Bromide" to control the quotas of importing methyl bromide, the quarantine and pre-shipment uses are exempted. (November 27, 1997)
1996
-The Executive Yuan's Council of Agriculture revised "Regulations for Controlled Substances Methyl Bromide" to revised the quota system and the phase out timetable for methyl bromide. (February 29, 1996)
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs, in its "Regulations for Controlled Substances Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol", announced the banning of importing and manufacturing CFCs, CCl4, MCF, and HBFC. (January 1, 1996)
1995
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that, starting from January 1996, products containing CFCs alternatives can no longer qualify for the Green Mark in Taiwan. (December 30, 1995)
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs revised the "Regulations for Controlled Substances Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol? In addition, as of January 1996, a HCFCs quota system was promulgated as well. (December 21, 1995)
-The Executive Yuan's Council of Agriculture announced that the "Regulations for Controlled Substances Methyl Bromide" be revised. (October 13, 1995)
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that, starting from January 1996, refrigerators manu-factured locally and imported should not use CFCs refrigerants and blowing agents. (July 13, 1995)
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration banned the importing of products containing CFCs and halons from countries that are not Parties to the Montreal Protocol. (April 13, 1995)
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced an additional list of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol on trade restriction and reminded of the ban on importing and exporting of halons starting from January, 1994. (January 26, 1995)
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that, starting from January 1995, companies importing methyl bromide for industrial purpose should apply for the quota before the deadline. (January 6, 1995)
1994
-The Executive Yuan's Council of Agriculture announced "Regulations for Controlled Substances Methyl Bromide" (December 30, 1994)
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced to place restrictions on the importing and exporting of ODS, as applicable to Parties or Regions that comply with the Montreal Protocol. (June 1994)
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that, starting from July 1994, automobiles manufactured locally and imported should not use CFCs refrigerants. (January 28, 1994)
1993
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that all controlled substances pursuant to the Montreal Protocol could be sold only with government permission. (October 22, 1993)
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration announced that, starting from January 1994, refrigerants must be recycled, recovered, or reclaimed in the servicing and disposal of automobile air conditioners. (October 21, 1993)
1992
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs' "Regulations for Controlled Substances Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol?were revised according to the Copenhagen Amendment. (June 30, 1993)Government complied with Montreal Protocol to control the import of halons. (January 1992)
1991
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs' "Regulations for Controlled Substances Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol" were revised according to the London Amendment. (August 13, 1991)
1990
-The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration banned the use of CFCs in insecticides. (April 1990)
1989
-The Ministry of Economic Affairs issued "Regulations for Controlled Substances Pursuant to the Montreal Protocol" and announced annual CFC consumption quotas. (August 1989)
1983
-The Executive Yuan's Department of Health banned the use of CFCs in cosmetic aerosol sprays. (May 1983)

Our Accomplishments

The R.O.C. Government has successfully phased out CFCs, and consumption was reduced to zero since January 1996. Meanwhile, a HCFCs quota system was promulgated, the cap which is used as a baseline for R.O.C. is 638.156 ODP tonnes. Consequently, actually consumption of HCFCs fell to 535.825 ODP tonnes in 1998, which is 84% of the cap.

The R.O.C. Government has successfully phased out CFCs, and consumption was reduced to zero since January 1996. Meanwhile, a HCFCs quota system was promulgated, the cap which is used as a baseline for R.O.C. is 638.156 ODP tonnes. Consequently, actually consumption of HCFCs fell to 511.78 ODP tonnes in 1999, which is 80% of the cap.

In Taiwan, HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HCFC-123, HCFC-124, and HCFC-225ca/cb are currently used. Three of them, HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, and HCFC-142b, are either manufactured domestically by Formosa Plastics Corporation or imported. The rest are imported from abroad. The manufacturing of HCFC-22 has steadily increased since 1996, which is mainly exported. Among HCFC-123, HCFC-124, and HCFC-225ca/cb, the consumption of HCFC-123 is the highest in 1999. However, its demand is still less than 1% of the total HCFCs imported.

In 1999, 99% of HCFC consumption was HCFC-141b and HCFC-22, which accounts for 58% and 41%, respectively. Based on the submitted data from the end-user with respect to their annual usage in 1999, 54% of the HCFCs were used for foam blowing, 41% for refrigerant, and only 5% for the solvent cleaning.

Foam Blowing----

HCFC-141b has been used extensively in the foam-blowing sector, especially for PU foam. Based on the submitted data from the end-user with respect to their annual usage in 1999, 13% of HCFC-141b has been used in soft and semi-rigid PU foam, 55% for the rigid PU foams (lncluding not for insulation and for normal temperature insulation). Twenty six percent for the rigid foams for under a low temperature insulation, including 15% for the household refrigerator and 11% for the cold storage, warehouses and freezer insulation, moreover, only 6% for PS (polystyrene) and PO (polyolefin).

Many multinational corporations are developing new zero-ODP alternatives. The most promising alternatives are HFCs, such as HFC-245fa, HFC-365mfc, and HFC-134a, or CO2 (LCD, liquid form of CO2), or the hydrocarbon compounds (HC) like cyclo-pentane, n-pentane, iso-pentane, propane, and butane. In Europe and Japan, although cyclo-pentane has become more dominant, the safety measure and the initial capital cost are the major concerns as to whether the local industries in Taiwan adopt it. On the other hand, commercial availability of HFC-245fa and HFC-365mfc are scheduled to begin in 2002. However, the fact that HFC is one of the greenhouse gases listed in the Kyoto Protocol explain why local industries are unwilling to use HCFC-141b alternatives.

Refrigerants----

HCFC-22 has been extensively used as a refrigerant, followed by HCFC-123 used in the centrifugal chiller. Based on the submitted data from the end-user with respect to their annual usage in 1999, 54% of HCFC-22 has been used in household air-conditioners, 10% for the centralized air-conditioners mainly for the water cooled chiller, 9% for the transport refrigeration, and 18% for the service and maintenance of equipment.

HFC-134a and R-407C are extensively used in household air-conditioners in Europe, because some European countries prohibited the use of HCFC in the household air-conditioners on January 1, 1998. Moreover, some manufacturers supply R-404A chiller for water cooled systems. In the United States and Japan, R-410A is developing and will eventually become the main refrigerant in household air-conditioners on the market, although it is infeasible as a retrofit to existing R-22 systems. In Taiwan, all the centralized air-conditioners are imported, with the HCFC-123 or HFC-134a refrigerant. The domestic centralized water cooled chillers and air cooled chillers, not including the centrifugal chillers, have been used HFC-134a as the refrigerant. Nevertheless, the technology must be improved further. In the transport refrigeration, the alternative refrigerants are R-507, R-404A, and HFC-134a. Last but not the least, in particular, fixed equipment with a refrigerating fluid charge of more than 10% in one year will be checked for leakage.

Natural refrigerants, such as NH3, HC, CO2, water, or air are viable long-term alternatives owing to their zero ODP and low global warming potential (GWP), and are currently under development in some developed countries. The R.O.C. Government is interested in the global developing trend in alternatives to assist local industries in switching to the proper alternatives.

Solvent Cleaning----

Many electronics manufacturers have adopted HCFC-141b in solvent cleaning because the original equipment does not need to be replaced, as well as having similar operating conditions and a reasonable cost. In Taiwan, HCFC-141b is mainly used in cleaning the communication and the information technology products. According to submitted data from the end-user with respect to their annual amount of usage in 1999, in communication products, 34% of HCFC-141b used for cleaning LCD has been the highest in Taiwan, and the next is hybrid that takes 24%, which is because the communication products require high standard cleanness. For other applications, cleaning GSM, cellular phone, modem, and other communication products account for 9%. In information technology products, 9% of HCFCs used for cleaning quartz oscillator and the computer accessories, 6% for cleaning motherboards, less than 0.5% for personal computers.

Most manufacturers that produce motherboards, personal computers, and the mouse have adopted the no-clean technology. The Government has announced its intentions to stop using HCFC-141b in the cleaning process of manufacturing the above products, which was effective on January 1, 2000. For the current electronics industries in Taiwan, 30% adopt HCFC-141b in solvent cleaning, 50% adopt no-clean technology, 15% adopt aqueous technology, and 5% adopt silicone-based or fluorinated solvents. ITRI is currently assisting the local communication industries in switching to HCFCs alternative cleaning technologies such as aqueous, semi-aqueous, hydrocarbons, and silicone-based solvent.

Recognition by the Global Community----

ITRI has made extraordinary efforts not only in assisting the government in drafting related policies and regulations, but also in helping industry to alleviate problems encountered in converting into ODS free process since 1988. Therefore, ITRI received the 1995 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award and the 1995 National Industrial Waste Minimization Outstanding Performance Awards from the "Joint Waste Reduction Task Force (JWRTF)" which did the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Executive Yuan's Environment Protection Administration establish.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONSOur

The Montreal Protocol ushered in the control of consumption of HCFCs in January 1996. Consumption will eventually be phased out in 2030. However, the European Union believed that the current controls on HCFCs needed to be strengthened to ensure to tackle ozone depletion. The European Union have announced the amended regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer to provide stricter control measures for HCFC, which are stricter than the Montreal Protocol. This amended regulation entered into force on 1 October 2000.

The R.O.C. Government has announced its intentions to stop the using of HCFC-141b in the cleaning process of manufacturing motherboards, PCs, and mouse, which became effective on January 1, 2000. In the near future, the Government will phase out the production and consumption of HCFCs following the Montreal Protocol, as well as prohibit the new ODS's consumption to achieve outstanding efforts on ozone layer protection in Taiwan.

Originating from efforts to control the consumption of CFCs, the illegal importing of CFCs is increasingly prevalent among industrialized countries. Taiwan has also experienced the same phenomenon. About 500 metric tonnes of illegal importing CFC-12 has been confiscated since 1993. The Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration has amended the"Air Pollution Control Act", adding the penalty for the illegal importing of ODS in order to curtail illegal traffic. To ensure Taiwan's good image in protecting the ozone layer, how to stop the illegal importing of CFCs has become a critical task for the R.O.C. Government and industries.

HFCs are the most acceptable alternatives of CFCs. Although HFC has zero ODP, it has become one of the six greenhouse gases cited in the Kyoto Protocol owing to the high GWP. Therefore, developing the natural and environmentally sound alternatives is an urgent task.

The Republic of China, although not a Party to the Montreal Protocol, has diligently striven to control and phase out ozone depleting substances. Furthermore, the Government will continue to actively participate in international and local efforts to protect the global environment.