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 XXIX/18: Reporting of zero in Article 7 data reporting forms

Recalling decision XXIV/14, in which the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Parties recalled the need for consistent reporting of production, imports, exports and destruction of ozone-depleting substances in accordance with Article 7 of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and noted that the forms for reporting in accordance with Article 7 submitted by parties sometimes contained blank cells, in which no numbers indicating quantities of ozone-depleting substances were entered, and that such blank cells could be intended by a party in a given case to indicate zero controlled substances or, alternatively, could represent non-reporting by that party in respect of those substances,

Recalling also that, by decision XXIV/14, the Twenty-Fourth Meeting of the Parties requested the parties, when reporting production, imports, exports or destruction, to enter a number, including zero, where appropriate, in each cell in the data reporting forms that they submitted, rather than leaving the cell blank, and asked the Secretariat to request clarification from any party that submitted a form containing a blank cell,

  1. To note with appreciation that the majority of parties are complying with the request made in decision XXIV/14 to enter a number, including zero, where appropriate, in each cell in the data reporting forms that they submit, rather than leaving the cell blank;
  2. To note, however, that some parties are continuing to submit forms containing blank cells, which requires additional work by the Secretariat to request clarification from the parties and results in delays in compiling information and assessing parties’ compliance with the control measures under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer;
  3. To urge the parties, when submitting forms for reporting data in accordance with Article 7, to ensure that all cells in the forms are completed with a number, including zero, where appropriate, rather than leaving the cell blank;
  4. To request the Implementation Committee under the Non‑Compliance Procedure for the Montreal Protocol to review the status of compliance by the parties with paragraph 3 of the present decision at its sixty-first meeting.