Progress at 35th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol

I am always surprised by the Montreal Protocol, the little treaty addressing ozone depletion in the atmosphere. It is heavily overshadowed by its big cousin, the UNFCCC, which struggles not to be seen as dysfunctional. 

Going under the radar, the Montreal Protocol  appears to make positive progress. Not only addressing the ozone issue but also acting to reduce climate change. Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) are also strong greenhouse gases adding to global warming.

The 35th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP35) has been meeting last week: 22–27 October 2023- in Nairobi, Kenya.

Parties adopted a host of decisions on substantive matters, including:

• stratospheric aerosol injection;
• addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on HFC baseline consumption for certain parties;
• energy efficiency;
• very short-lived substances;
• feedstock uses of methyl bromide;
• potential areas of focus for the 2026 quadrennial reports of the Protocol’s Assessment Panels;
• the import and export of prohibited cooling equipment, to address the long-standing issue of dumping; and
• further strengthening Protocol institutions, including for combating illegal trade.
• general governance issues electing new members to governing bodies and assessment panels through acclamation

Read some excerpts from the IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin:

"From a scientific perspective, the integration between ozone and climate “just makes sense.” At MOP 35, the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) made it very clear that stratospheric ozone recovery depends on future concentrations of both Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). The SAP reiterated that the decline in ODS emissions due to compliance with the Montreal Protocol avoids global warming of approximately 0.5–1°C by mid-century, with another estimated avoidance of 0.3–0.5°C warming by 2100 from the anticipated phase down of HFCs under the Kigali Amendment."

"This integration between ozone and climate leads to further collaboration within the landscape of multilateral environmental agreements. Executive Secretary Megumi Seki announced that the Ozone Secretariat will have a strong presence and host a pavilion at the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 28) and will play an active part in promoting the United Arab Emirates’ Global Cooling Pledge initiative. Indeed, the collaboration among the different fora has become indispensable. The benefit for ecosystems and people was also emphasized by UNEP Executive Secretary Inger Andersen in her opening remarks, a sign of things to come."

"Delegates to the Montreal Protocol often refer to themselves as “family.” This is because the group’s collective efforts are rooted in mutual trust, diligent work, and shared wisdom. There were certain issues where disputes could have hindered the process. Instead, this family chose to set aside their differences in pursuit of collective aspirations."

References:

Read the IISD summary on this meeting (MOP35) of the Montreal Protocol:

https://enb.iisd.org/montreal-protocol-meeting-parties-ozone-mop35-summary

Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis (Link)

Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis