Current Context: The Montreal Protocol has successfully reduced radiative forcing and equivalent effective chlorine from hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) since 2021, indicating progress in mitigating climate change and ozone layer loss, as per a new study published in the Nature Journal.

ABOUT

• The Montreal Protocol, enacted in 1987, is a global treaty designed to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
• This treaty operates under the framework of the Vienna Convention (adopted in 1985).
• A significant addition to the Protocol came with the adoption of the Kigali Amendment in 2016, which became effective in 2019.
• This amendment specifically targets the reduction of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which serve as non-ODS alternatives to previously phased-out substances like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).