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Europe continues to phase out ozone layer-damaging chemicals: report

Xinhua, September 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Europe continues to make progress in phasing out chemicals which damage the ozone layer, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Wednesday.

The EEA report, "Ozone depleting substances 2014", shows that consumption in the European Union (EU) was negative in 2014, as was the general trend over the last years.

These negative values are the result of a phase-out in combination with rather high destruction and low stocks, said the report.

The report considers the use of more than 200 chemicals controlled by the Montreal Protocol and EU legislation, said the EEA.

Since the potential to harm the ozone layer varies among substances, the data collected on these chemicals are expressed not only in metric tons, but also in "ozone depleting potential" (ODP) tons, which show quantities in terms of their environmental effects rather than physical weight.

The report is published to coincide with the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, said the EEA.

Moreover, many ODS are also potent greenhouse gases. Their phase out has therefore had a significant positive impact on climate change prevention.

However, some of the ODS substitutes can equally contribute to climate change, noted the report. Endit