The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it. This phase-out plan includes both the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The landmark agreement was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.

The parties to the Protocol meet once a year to make decisions aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of the agreement. These include adjusting or amending the Protocol, which has been done six times since its creation. The most recent amendment, the Kigali Amendment, called for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in 2016. These HFCs were used as replacements for a batch of ozone-depleting substances eliminated by the original Montreal Protocol. Although they do not deplete the ozone layer, they are known to be powerful greenhouse gases and, thus, contributors to climate change.

The Montreal Protocol provided a set of practical, actionable tasks that were universally agreed on. The Protocol has successfully met its objectives thus far and continues to safeguard the ozone layer today. Thanks to the collaborative effort of nations around the world, the ozone layer is well on its way to recovery.

Decision XIII/5: Procedures for assessing the ozone-depleting potential of new substances that may be damaging to the ozone layer

The Thirteenth Meeting of the Parties decided in Dec. XIII/5:

Understanding that “new substances” are those believed to deplete the ozone layer and to have the likelihood of substantial production but not listed as controlled substances under Article 2 of the Protocol,

Mindful of the requests to Parties under decision IX/24 and decision X/8 to report to the Ozone Secretariat new substances being produced in their territory,

Recalling decision XI/19 on the assessment of new substances, which requests the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel and the Scientific Assessment Panel to develop criteria to assess the potential ODP of a new substance and to produce a guidance paper on public/private sector partnerships in this assessment,

Understanding the urgency and the benefit of disseminating information on new substances that enables individual Parties to limit or ban the use of those substances as soon as possible,

Noting the desirability of having a standardized and independent ODP analysis in order to ensure consistent and reproducible results,

  1. To request the Secretariat to keep the list of new substances submitted by Parties pursuant to decision IX/24 on the UNEP Website up to date and to distribute the current version of the list to all Parties about six weeks in advance of the meeting of the Open-ended Working Group and the Meeting of the Parties;
  2. To ask the Secretariat to request a Party that has an enterprise producing a listed new substance to request that enterprise to undertake a preliminary assessment of its ODP following procedures to be developed by the Scientific Assessment Panel and to submit, if available, toxicological data on the listed new substance, and further to request the Party to report the outcome of the request to the Secretariat;
  3. To call on Parties to encourage their enterprises to conduct the preliminary assessment of its ODP within one year of the request of the Secretariat and, in cases where the substance is produced in more than one territory, to request the Secretariat to notify the Parties concerned in order to promote the coordination of the assessment;
  4. To request the Secretariat to notify the Scientific Assessment Panel of the outcome of the preliminary assessment of the ODP to enable the Panel to review the assessment for each new substance in its annual report to the Parties and to recommend to the Parties when a more detailed assessment of the ODP of a listed new substance may be warranted.