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Recent International Developments in Saving the Ozone Layer
191 Countries Agree to Strengthen Protection of the Earth's Ozone Layer
At the 19th Meeting of the Parties in Montreal on September 17-21, 2007, the Parties agreed to more aggressively phase out ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The final agreement resulted from discussion of six proposals submitted by governments from both developed and developing countries - Argentina and Brazil; Norway, Iceland and Switzerland; the United States; Mauritania; Mauritius; and the Federated States of Micronesia.
HCFCs originally emerged as replacement chemicals for use in air conditioning, some forms of refrigeration equipment and foams.
Read more about the HCFC reductions for the U.S., reflecting the agreement at the 19th Meeting in Montreal.
Environmental Benefits of the New, Stronger HCFC Phaseout Agreement
The agreement to adjust the phase-out schedule for HCFCs is expected to reduce emissions of HCFCs to the atmosphere by 47 percent, compared to the prior commitments under the treaty over the 30-year period of 2010 to 2040. For the developing countries, the agreement means there will be about a 58 percent reduction in HCFCs emission over the 30 year period.
View a graph showing the HCFC reductions in developing countries, reflecting the agreement at the 19th Meeting in Montreal.
The climate benefits of the stronger HCFC agreement will depend on technology choices of the transition from HCFCs during the 30 year time frame of the HCFC phase out. The estimated climate benefit of the new, stronger HCFC phase out may be as much as 9,000 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO 2-eq), or the equivalent of removing the climate emissions from 55 million U.S. passenger cars each year, for the next 30 years. This means the new, stronger HCFC agreement is equivalent to eliminating the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 40 percent of all U.S. passenger cars each year, for the next 30 years.
Another way of explaining the climate benefit of the new, stronger HCFC phaseout agreement is to say it is equivalent to eliminating the climate emissions from the electricity needed by 40 million U.S. households each year, for the next 30 years, which would be eliminating the climate emissions from the electricity needed by 40 percent of U.S. households each year, for the next 30 years.
Read analyses of climate benefits of the overall HCFC agreement at the 19th Meeting in Montreal.
Read analyses of ozone and climate benefits of the U.S. proposal (PDF) (43 pp, 262K, About PDF).
Historical Background
This agreement coincides with the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, widely considered one of the most successful international environmental treaties to date. September 16, 2007, marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol, the agreement to restore the ozone layer and protect future generations from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Twenty years ago, 24 nations signed the ambitious treaty to reduce production of substances responsible for ozone layer depletion, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosol sprays and in refrigeration products. Today, 191 countries – virtually every country in the world - have signed the Montreal Protocol, and each country has measurable goals and actions for achieving success.
The depletion of the ozone layer contributes to an increased amount of UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Overexposure to UV radiation causes a wide range of health problems for humans, especially skin cancer, as well as other ecological and economic impacts. A future with a repaired ozone layer is a future where skin cancer will be less prevalent.
Read more about the HCFC phaseout in the U.S.
Accomplishments from the 19th Meeting of the Parties in Montreal, Canada
President George W. Bush stated the following about the HCFC phaseout agreement in his remarks at the U.S. Department of State on September 28, 2007:
“We have confidence in the success of our efforts. Twenty years ago, nations finalized an agreement called the Montreal Protocol to phase out substances that were depleting the ozone layer. Since then, we have made great strides to repair the damage. Just last week, developed and developing nations reached consensus on speeding up the recovery of the ozone layer by accelerating the phase-out of these harmful substances. This accelerated phase-out will bring larger benefits because they'll dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson delivered the high-level intervention on behalf of the United States at the 19th Meeting of the Parties in Montreal, Canada, in which he strongly encouraged the Parties to more aggressively phase out HCFCs.
Additionally, several EPA programs and employees received awards from the United Nations Environmental Programme.