The Bush administration plans to push for speeding up the global phaseout of chemicals that destroy the ozone layer and contribute to global warming, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The administration’s proposal will be presented at a Sept. 15 meeting in Montreal, where representatives from 191 nations will discuss toughening the 20-year-old Montreal Protocol, designed to reduce the use of chemicals that create holes in the ozone layer.
According to the article, the U.S. plan would shift the deadlines for phasing out a family of chemicals called hydrochlorofluorocarbons to 2020 from 2030 for industrial nations and to 2030 from 2040 for developing nations. In addition, the proposal would require developing nations to shrink their production of the chemicals by stages before the 2030 deadline.