LEADING
THE WAY IN IMPROVING OZONE PROTECTION
Adjustments to the Montreal Protocol Would Speed Elimination of Ozone-depleting
Substances
March
16, 2007 � On March 14, 2007, the United States submitted a proposal
to adjust the Montreal Protocol to accelerate the phase-out of ozone-damaging
chemicals. The U.S. proposal includes four elements that can be considered
individually or as a package:
1. Accelerating
the phase-out date of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 10 years;
2. Adding interim reduction steps;
3. Setting an earlier baseline;
4. Phasing out the most damaging HCFCs to the ozone layer as the first
priority.
These proposals
further U.S. efforts to address ozone layer protection, cleaner air
and climate change by calling on the global community to act more quickly
in phasing out hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
- Today,
More Than 190 Countries Participate In The Montreal Protocol To Phase
Out Ozone-Depleting Substances.
With leadership from the United States, the Montreal Protocol was
ratified in 1987 by 27 nations. Twenty years later, we have the opportunity
to assess the progress that has been made under the Protocol as well
as what remains to be done.
- Under
The Montreal Protocol's First Stage, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Were
Phased Out In Developed Countries By 1996 And Replaced By Less Harmful
HCFCs.
We are now entering the Montreal Protocol's second stage, which aims
to phase out HCFCs by 2030 for developed countries and 2040 for developing
countries.
- The
Proposal Would Speed Up The Phase-Out Of HCFCs Under The Montreal
Protocol's Second Stage.
While the Montreal Protocol already has made tremendous strides to
heal the ozone shield, the United States believes more steps can be
taken to reduce HCFC consumption further and achieve a total phaseout
sooner than the scheduled dates. Based on analysis, experience and
more rapid technology development, the U.S. technical team believes
we can move faster by as much as ten years.
The
U.S. Continues Its Strong Leadership In Ozone Layer Protection.
Since the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987, the U.S. has achieved
a 90 percent reduction in the production and consumption of ozone-depleting
substances—ending the production and import of more than 1.7 billion
pounds per year of these chemicals. Faster healing of the ozone layer
will help prevent human health damages caused by excess UV radiation,
including skin cancer.
U.S.
Actions Under The Current Montreal Protocol And Clean Air Act Requirements
Have Also Helped Protect Against Climate Change.
Ozone-depleting substances—particularly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—are
damaging to the Earth's climate system. In 2005, the U.S. reduced annual
emissions of ozone-depleting substances by 1,500 million CO2-equivalent
metric tons per year. U.S. actions achieved a cumulative emissions reduction
of about 13,000 million CO2-equivalent metric tons from 1987-2005 (not
accounting for some offset from the influence of ozone depletion on
the climate).
Worldwide,
the Montreal Protocol has cut in half the amount of global warming caused
by ozone-destroying chemicals that would have occurred by 2010 had these
chemicals not been controlled.
NOAA, an
agency of the U.S. Commerce Department,
is celebrating 200 years
of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of
the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation
of the Weather Bureau and the Commission of Fish and Fisheries in the
1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. NOAA
is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through
the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and
information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental
stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the
emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS),
NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and
the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that
is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Climate Portal
Media
Contact:
Jana Goldman, NOAA
Research, (301) 734-1123
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