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 XXVI/5: Global laboratory and analytical-use exemption

Recalling decisions VII/11 and XXI/6, in which the Meeting of the Parties requested all parties to urge their national standards-setting organizations to identify and review their standards for laboratory and analytical procedures that mandate the use of Montreal Protocol controlled substances with a view to adopting, where possible, laboratory and analytical products and processes that do not use controlled substances,

Recalling also decisions VII/11, XI/15, XVIII/15 and XIX/18, by which the Meeting of the Parties eliminated specific uses from the global exemption for laboratory and analytical uses,

  1. To extend the global laboratory and analytical-use exemption until 31 December 2021, under the conditions set out in annex II to the report of the Sixth Meeting of the Parties and decisions XV/8, XVI/16 and XVIII/15, for the controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol in all annexes and groups except Annex C, group I;
  2. To request the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel to report no later than 2018 on the development and availability of laboratory and analytical procedures that can be performed without using controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol;
  3. To encourage parties to continue to investigate domestically the possibility of replacing ozone-depleting substances in laboratory and analytical uses and to share the resulting information;
Annex II: Conditions applied to exemption for laboratory and analytical uses