MONTREAL - Canada's Environment Minister, John Baird, today received an award on behalf of the Government of Canada from the United Nations Environment Programme for Canada's important contribution to making the Montreal Protocol on ozone protection a success.

"I am honoured that Canada has been recognized by the United Nations for its leadership in protecting the ozone layer," said Minister Baird. "Twenty years ago, under Canadian leadership, we took a major step forward to protect the ozone layer. Twenty years later, Canada is again showing leadership by pushing for an aggressive phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). I am proud of the role Canada continues to play on the world stage."

Under the Montreal Protocol, countries have committed to eliminating harmful substances, called hydrochlorofluorocarbons that deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming. As the host of the 20th Anniversary meeting in Montreal, Canada has joined with the United Nations and other countries in calling for serious action now in order that ozone preservation and climate change - are addressed together.

Protocol signatories are meeting this week to chart the future of the Protocol, to ensure that the world remains on track to phase out the remaining uses of ozone-depleting substances. The original Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed in 1987 by 24 countries, including Canada. Since then, more than 190 countries have signed on, and more than 95% of the chemicals that harm the ozone layer have been eliminated.