China announced on December 2 it will ban the use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in new auto air conditioners from January 1, 2002 as part of its effort to protect the ozone layer.

The State Environmental Protection Administration of China (SEPA) said auto plants and auto air conditioner producers were notified last week about the matter in a circular jointly issued by the administration and the State Administration of Machinery Industry.

"New auto air conditioners using chlorofluorocarbons-12 (CFC-12) as refrigerants will not be allowed to be marketed and installed in autos from January 1, 2000," said the circular.

SEPA said the target is achievable.

Nearly 70 percent of the auto air conditioners installed in new cars in China during the first six months of this year contained no CFC-12, SEPA said in a press release.

Technical innovation projects are well underway in some auto air conditioner plants to prepare themselves for production of air conditioners with ozone-friendly CFC-12 substitutes as refrigerants, it said.

China has reduced ODS consumption by 50,000 tons over the past few years, and its ODS and other ozone-damaging gas emissions remain at the average 1995-1997 levels, SEPA said. (Xinhua)