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 XXIII/29: Requests for the revision of baseline data by Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Guyana, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Palau, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Togo, Tonga, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe

Noting that, in accordance with decision XIII/15, by which the Thirteenth Meeting of the Parties decided that parties requesting the revision of reported baseline data should present such requests to the Implementation Committee, which in turn would work with the Secretariat and the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol to confirm the justification for the changes and present them to the Meeting of the Parties for approval,

Noting also that decision XV/19 sets out the methodology for the submission of such requests,

  1. That Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Guyana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Palau, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Togo, Tonga, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe have presented sufficient information, in accordance with decision XV/19, to justify their requests for the revision of their consumption data for the year 2009 for hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which is part of the baseline for parties operating under paragraph 1 of Article 5;
  2. To approve the requests of the parties listed in the preceding paragraph and to revise their baseline hydrochlorofluorocarbon consumption data for the year 2009 as indicated in the following table:
Party Previous data New data
Metric tonnes ODP-tonnes Metric tonnes ODP-tonnes
Barbados 82.68 4.5 91.43 5.1
Bosnia and Herzegovina 82.73 6.0 77.96 5.8
Brunei Darussalam 82.2 4.5 96.69 5.3
Guyana 16.822 0.9 19.271 1.1
Lao People’s Democratic Republic 22.03 1.2 39.09 2.1
Lesotho 187.0 10.3 68.271 3.8
Palau 2.04 0.1 2.56 0.1
Solomon Islands 28.28 1.6 29.09 1.6
Swaziland 99.9 9.2 103.72 9.5
Togo 372.89 20.5 350 19.3
Tonga 0.01 0.0 2.43 0.1
Vanuatu 1.46 0.1 1.89 0.1
Zimbabwe 225 12.4 303.47 17.1