Bangladesh: phase-out of CFCs in motion

The national ODS Phase-out Plan (NPP) received a boost in April 2005 in Bangladesh following the procurement of 9000 kits by the government in the launch of a programme by the Department of Environment (DoE) to convert refrigerators running on CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) into environmentally friendly HC (hydrocarbon) systems. With the financial support of the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund (MLF) and in compliance with the Montreal Protocol signed by Bangladesh in 1990, the country's estimated 2.8 million refrigerators running on CFC-12 gas will be completely phased out by 2010. HC technology is a very cost-effective conversion system used principally in Eastern European countries, and in some parts of Asia, including India and China. Local technicians are receiving hands-on training on the use of the refrigerator conversion kits. According to 2003 reports, the country's total import of different types of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in various sectors was approximately 506.86 metric tons, of which the quantity of CFC-12 used in the refrigeration sector was 287.41 metric tons.