The Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (“Montreal Protocol”) is often cited as the most successful international environmental agreement—having successfully forced the phase-out of more than ninety-eight percent of ozone-depleting substances (“ODS”), placing the ozone layer on the road to recovery by the end of the twenty-first century.

The history of the Montreal Protocol is one of a dynamic treaty that responds quickly to changes in ozone and climate science, technology, and the needs of Parties and industries dependent on ODS and their substitutes - HFCs. The governance framework and institutions that have contributed to the Montreal Protocol’s success in reducing the production and consumption of ODS are the same features that make it the best framework to implement an HFC phase-down.

The Montreal Protocol makes decisions based upon sound scientific and economic information from the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (“TEAP”), Technical Options Committees (“TOCs”), and Scientific Assessment Panel (“SAP”), established to provide the Parties with real-time information.

Financing of transitions is conducted under the ambit of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (“MLF”), the dominant financial mechanism of the treaty. The MLF has played a pivotal role in providing financing, facilitating the transfer of technology, enhancing capacity building and development capabilities, and promoting the overall success of the Montreal Protocol.

EIA first circulated a declaration at the 2008 Meeting of the Parties of the Montreal Protocol calling on countries to support phase-down of HFCs. Since that time we have worked with countries to get amendment proposals submitted and build support for the phase-down. We have also provided briefings, side events at meetings of the Montreal Protocol and engaged countries at the regional ozone network meetings . EIA also works to help countries overcome obstacles by engaging with delegates to the Montreal Protocol on key issues, such as the availability of alternatives, energy efficiency of new alternatives, financing mechanisms of the MLF, and more.

Within the MLF, EIA engages with Parties and the MLF to ensure adequate funding for HFC-free alternatives that leapfrog HFCs and transition directly from HCFCs to HFC-free alternatives. While the majority of developed countries have already transitioned to HFCs in the 1990’s and 2000’s, developing countries are just starting their HCFC phase-out management plans (HPMP). HPMPs occur in stages with each stage phasing out a higher percentage of HCFCs.

Stage 1 of developing countries’ (Article 5) HPMP, which required a freeze and 10% phase-down of HCFCs, more than a hundred million tonnes of CO₂e were avoided annually by transitions directly to HFC-free alternatives. EIA is working to ensure that the correct mechanisms within the MLF are in place to properly fund transitions to HFC-free alternatives and to encourage countries to transition directly to HFC-free alternatives.