Environmental Protection Minister Xie Zhenhua vowed that China will
continue to do its utmost to reduce the discharge of
ozone-depleting substances.
On
Wednesday, Xie received the World Bank's annual Green Award for his
outstanding leadership in protecting the ozone layer, work that was
funded by the bank.
"The award confirmed China's devotion to environmental protection
in recent years, especially in preserving the critical layer of the
atmosphere,'' Xie told a press conference in Beijing Friday.
World Bank statistics indicate that, of the total amount by which
discharges of ozone-depleting substances have decreased, half is
due to efforts by China.
Since 1991, China has shut down numerous companies that produced or
consumed ozone-depleting substances such as freon. The nation
approved the Montreal Protocol in 1991 and this set deadlines and
quotas for all countries to gradually eliminate the production and
use of volatile chemicals that destroy the ozone layer, according
to Xie.
"One of the latest developments is the establishment of an
industrial park in Langfang in North China's Hebei Province. The
park has gathered enterprises that promote ozone-friendly
technologies to fulfill the commitments to the protocol,'' Xie
said.
The minister said foreign capital is welcome to take part in
China's burgeoning environmental protection industry.
"Market opportunities can be found in many environmental protection
sectors, including urban sewage farms, refuse dumps, power plants,
motor vehicle exhausts and consultation services,'' Xie said.
The output value of China's environmental protection industry was
170 billion yuan (US$20.56 billion) last year and has been growing
at an annual rate of 15 per cent. It is predicted that the total
investment in environmental protection will reach 700 billion yuan
(US$84.5 billion) for the period between 2001 and 2005.
At
Friday's press conference, the minister denied a recent report by
the Washington Post, which said that some worn-out ships in the
United States will be sent to China for disassembly.
"Some US organizations did contact my administration about the
issue but no decision has been made prior to further communication
and research,'' Xie said.
(China Daily March 15, 2003)