Ottawa - Canada's Environment Minister, John Baird, is challenging the international community to speed up the phase-out of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer and cause climate change.

Canada is hosting the international meeting of the United Nations Environment Programme in Montreal, Quebec, September 17-21. In celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, Canada will be joining other countries in calling for more aggressive timelines to eliminate hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), used in refrigeration, air conditioning and foam blowing.

"Although the world is on track to fully eliminate HCFCs, speeding up the phase-out would allow us to simultaneously address two of the most critical issues facing our planet today - ozone preservation and climate change," Minister Baird said. "Canada was a leader in signing the Montreal Protocol 20 years ago, and we are prepared to play a leadership role again. The health of Canadians demands we take action."

Currently under the Montreal Protocol, use of HCFCs is set to cease in developed countries in 2030 and in developing countries in 2040. HCFCs not only harm the ozone layer but also contribute to global warming.

By moving quickly to reduce production and consumption of HCFCs, the upcoming Montreal meeting could simultaneously address two of the most critical environmental issues facing the planet today.

The original Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed in 1987 by 24 countries, including Canada. The Montreal Protocol now includes more than 190 countries and has led to more than a 95% worldwide reduction in production and consumption of chemicals that thin the ozone layer in the Earth's upper atmosphere, creating serious threats to human health and the environment.