After more than three decades of undeniable success, earning it the title of the world’s most successful multilateral environmental agreement, the Montreal Protocol is now being tested. Following revelations of unexplained CFC-11 emissions in 2018, legitimate questions have been raised as to whether the Montreal Protocol’s institutions and controls are fit for purpose, not only to ensure the sustained phase-out of ozone depleting substances (ODS) but also to address new challenges unique to the HFC phase-down under the Kigali Amendment.
It is time to reinvest in the Montreal Protocol. Parties should use the 41st meeting of the OpenEnded Working Group (OEWG) to prepare to initiate a comprehensive fitness check at the 31st Meeting of the Parties (MoP31) in Rome, one with clear timetables for consideration and adoption of needed improvements, whether via decisions, adjustments or future amendments.