Resources

2015 meeting, parties decided “Dubai pathway on HFCs” to “work within the Montreal Protocol to an HFC amendment in 2016 by resolving challenges by generating solutions in the contact group on the feasibility and ways of managing HFCs”. This briefing note is to provide background info about agreed baselines under Montreal Protocol, time lag between decision and the years of baseline and initial controls, and baselines put forward in the HFC amendment proposals. The information in this note is intended only as background material for the parties; it is not intended to be exhaustive and does not provide policy recommendations.

Industrial chlorofluorocarbons that cause ozone depletion have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol. A chemically-driven increase in polar ozone (or “healing”) is expected in response to this historic agreement. Observations and model calculations taken together indicate that the onset of healing of Antarctic ozone loss has now emerged in September. Fingerprints of September healing since 2000 are identified through (i) increases in ozone column amounts, (ii) changes in the vertical profile of ozone concentration, and (iii) decreases in the areal extent of the ozone hole. Along with chemistry, dynamical and temperature changes contribute to the healing, but could represent feedbacks to chemistry. Volcanic eruptions episodically interfere with healing, particularly during 2015 (when a record October ozone hole occurred following the Calbuco eruption).

A report prepared by the UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel and published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. This assessment report provides background information on trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) together with its potential relevance as a risk factor to the environment and human health. In addition, the report draws attention to some of the current concerns of substances controlled by and relevant to the Montreal Protocol.

Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer will achieve the final phase-out of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) this year with the phase-out of CFCs used in metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). This infographic depicts that success.