Vietnam has abided by the ‘ Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer’ since the nation ratified it in January 1994, stated an official from the Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE).

The Deputy Head of MoNRE’s Hydrometeorology and Climate Change Department (HCCD), Nguyen Khac Hieu, said this on ‘World Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer’ themed ‘Ozone layer protection: governance and compliance at its best’ in Hanoi on September 16.

Vietnam has issued policies and measures to strictly control the import-export of all substances that deplete the ozone layer and has prohibited equipment that uses chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC), said Hieu, adding that the nation has eradicated 500 tonnes of CFC’s and 3.8 tonnes of Halon, which are substances that deplete the ozone layer, since January 1, 2010.


The World Bank (WB) and the HCCD have forecast that Vietnam needs about 20 million USD to completely stop the use of hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons (HCFCs) over the next 15 to 20 years.
In Vietnam , these substances are mostly used in cooling systems, air-conditioning and seafood processing.

The HCCD has worked with the WB to draw up a HCFC national eradication plan under which the nation can reduce the use of this substance by 10 percent by 2015.

In the meantime, the MoNRE will propose a number of measures to the Government to ensure that Vietnam meets the Montreal Protocol’s deadlines for eliminating HCFCs.

The Montreal Protocol stipulates that CFC’s and Halon had to be eradicated by January 2010 and HCFCs by 2040./.