The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it. This phase-out plan includes both the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The landmark agreement was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.

The parties to the Protocol meet once a year to make decisions aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of the agreement. These include adjusting or amending the Protocol, which has been done six times since its creation. The most recent amendment, the Kigali Amendment, called for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in 2016. These HFCs were used as replacements for a batch of ozone-depleting substances eliminated by the original Montreal Protocol. Although they do not deplete the ozone layer, they are known to be powerful greenhouse gases and, thus, contributors to climate change.

The Montreal Protocol provided a set of practical, actionable tasks that were universally agreed on. The Protocol has successfully met its objectives thus far and continues to safeguard the ozone layer today. Thanks to the collaborative effort of nations around the world, the ozone layer is well on its way to recovery.

Decision XIV/37: Interaction between the Executive Committee and the Implementation Committee

The Fourteenth Meeting of the Parties decided in Dec. XIV/37:

Noting that the Multilateral Fund has an important responsibility for enabling compliance, but that without national action, there can be no compliance,

Acknowledging that the Executive Committee, pursuant to the Multilateral Fund’s mandate “to enable compliance” has a responsibility to consider both the current and forecasted compliance status of a country when it reviews submissions connected with funding proposals and that, therefore, the Committee should work with the Party to eliminate the duration of any possible non-compliance,

Mindful of the fact that the Executive Committee’s decisions to approve funding cannot be construed to condone a Party’s non-compliance and that each Party continues to bear the responsibility to meet its obligations,

  1. To request the Executive Committee to therefore make it clear that its funding decisions are always without prejudice to a Party’s duty to meet its obligations under the Protocol, and are also without prejudice to the operation of the mechanisms in the Protocol that exist for the treatment of Parties in non-compliance. Accordingly, the Executive Committee should include language to this effect in its funding decisions where non-compliance is potentially at issue;
  2. To note that while the Implementation Committee may take into account information from the Executive Committee consistent with paragraph 7(f) of the non-compliance procedure, the Executive Committee has no formal role in the crafting of Implementation Committee recommendations;
  3. To further note that in no case should any Implementation Committee action be construed as directly requiring the Executive Committee to take any specific action regarding the funding of any specific project;
  4. To note that the Executive Committee and Implementation Committee are independent of each other. However, pursuant to Article 10, the Multilateral Fund operates under the authority of the Parties and, pursuant to the non-compliance procedure of the Montreal Protocol, the Implementation Committee reports its recommendations to the Parties for possible decision.