The recommendation by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came in a report which aims to address conflicting efforts to restore the ozone layer agreed 18 years ago and more recent measures to cut pollution by greenhouse gas emissions.

Chemicals used to replace substances harmful to the earth's protective ozone layer in products like refrigerators under the 1987 Montreal Protocol -- as well as the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) they substituted -- are greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Many of them are regarded as far more powerful than carbon dioxide, whose emissions are the focus of cuts under the Kyoto Protocol climate change treaty, which came into force in January, the report underlined.

"There can be no trade-offs between saving the ozone layer and minimising climate change," said Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the UN's Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Montreal Protocol was implemented after holes in the ozone layer, which shields the earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun, were discovered in the 1980s, raising the threat of more skin cancers and crop damage.

The panel of scientists admitted after a meeting in Ethiopia that its recommendations could only mitigate the impact of CFCs and their ozone-friendly replacements on climate change, and would be costly.

The measures include increasing the use of alternatives with "zero global warming potential", such as ammonia, reducing the amounts of chemicals needed in equipment, more end-of life recovery or recycling, and better containment of the chemicals to prevent leaks and evaporation.

The report also recommmended more use of alternative technologies, such as mineral wool instead of plastic insulating foams, or stick deodorants instead of aerosol canisters.

UNEP estimated that the replacement of ozone-friendly chemicals could add 30 dollars to the cost of a household refrigerator, just years after the replacement of the original harmful CFCs raised industry's concern about costs.

Special incinerators for elimination of the substances would cost several thousand of dollars each, it added.

The Kyoto protocol sets legally binding targets for most developed countries to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide caused by oil and coal, and other gases blamed for global warming.

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