Montreal Protocol

Hello I welcome you all once again to my channel Explore Education I am Dr. Rashmi Singh Assistant Professor Department of Education SS Khanna Girls 2 College University of Allahabad In this time I am going to discuss with you a new topic of your paper Environmental Education Unit for that is the Montreal Protocol ok so let us know what is this Montreal Proto Protocol ok so if we talk about the background and context then Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed on 16 September 1987 in Montreal Canada. That on 16 September 1987 in Montreal Canada it was signed that all those protocols will be imposed on all those substances which are depleting the ozone layer. That this protocol was signed in Montreal so that is why it is known as Montreal Protocol. Build on the earlier Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer was already in 1985. It was based on that. Triggered by the 1985 discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole by the British Antarctic Survey scientists linked to chlorofluorocarbons and how this was discovered. Why did we sign the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985? Because in 1985, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey discovered that there was a hole in the ozone in the Antarctic region and this hole was caused by chlorofluorocarbons. It entered into force on 1 January 1989. India ratified the Protocol in 1992 and its subsequent amendments over time. So then India also joined it on 1 January 1989 and signed this protocol in 1992 and after that India also made subsequent amendments from time to time because it was a signatory of this protocol. Ok? If we talk about objectives and guiding principles, its objectives are to protect the. Now if you have read about atmosphere then it has many zones. It also has a stratosphere which is the same zone where the ozone layer is located. It is in the same layer as the stratosphere. To protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. It was said that we have to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. We will not stop it suddenly, we will do it gradually. Fuzz out that we will do this in less time. We will do this in this time. In this way we will stop the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances. Okay, right ? Establishes binding, time-targeted, and measurable phase-out obligations for both developed and developing countries. Then it was decided that brother, we will set some time target. Will keep any measurable fuzz out obligations. Both developed and developing countries will have to follow it. Adopts the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Developed countries pay out ODS faster. It was believed that developing countries are also engaged in development. They do not have that much funds, that much research and that much resources right now. So it was said that we will do this so that the developed countries can quickly eliminate ODS. So we will assume that we will adopt this principle and developing article five countries including India will receive a grace period and financial technical support to meet their obligations. Sorry, it was also said that the developing country brother, India was a developing country at that time, it was said about India that they would be given a grace period. They will be given financial and technical support so that they can fulfill their obligations. Substances regulated. So what was stopped? Chlorofluorocarbons banned: It was said that CFCs used in refrigeration, air conditioning, aerosols and farm blowing will have to be banned or controlled. Halons are used in fire extinguishers. Carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform are industrial solvents. There has been talk of regulating this. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons which are transitional CFC substitutes. Less ozone depleting but still harmful, you have to regulate that too. And there is methyl bromide. Widely used agricultural fumigant. It is widely used as an agricultural fumigant. This was also contributing to depletion of the ozone layer. So there was talk of regulating this also. Then evolution of the protocol, meaning amendments kept taking place in many protocols. Like the London Amendment in 1990. It said it added new substances and accelerated fuzz-out schedules. He said no, you should fuzz out faster. And some new substances were also added which were contributing to ozone depletion. The Copenhagen Amendment took place in 1992. This further accelerated CFC fuzz out. He said, you should finish it faster. Chlorofluorocarbons Added Controls on Hydrochlorofluorocarbons and Methyl Bromide. Then the Montreal Amendment came in 1997, which said that a licensing system should be put in place for the import and export of ODS and the Beijing Amendment came in 1999, which also talked about imposing control on bromochloromethane. Then the Kigali Amendment 2016 linking ozone and climate. This linked ozone and the environment. He said the landmark amendment was addressing hydrofluorocarbons, not ozone-depleting but powerful greenhouse gases used as HCFC substitutes. Isn't it ? He said that the powerful greenhouse gases are HC FC i.e. hydro good hydro HFC. H is being used as a hydrofluorofluorocarbon. It is not ozone depleting but it is a greenhouse gas. So he's saying that you can replace it with hydrofluorocarbons. Aims to Face Down Global HFC Production and Consumption by Over 80% by the 2040s. It was assumed that we would do this by 2040. Could avoid up to 0.5° C of global warming by 22100, entered into force in January 2019. It was assumed that we should do this from 2019 to see if we can stop global warming from reaching 0.5° C. Look, it doesn't seem so. India also signed the Gali Amendment in 2021 and committed to freeze HFC consumption by 2028 with a phase down from 2032. It was said that it was good. Well, both 28 and 32 are coming that we will reduce the consumption of HFCs a little. We will freeze it till 2028 and face it down from 2032. Isn't it? All this was accepted. Then this was the institutional mechanism. The Multilateral Fund was established in 1990 to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries. The implementing agencies were UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, and the World Bank. The Ozone Secretary coordinated treaty implementation and meetings of the Parties, and the Scientific, Environmental Impacts, and Technology and Economic Assessment Panels provided ongoing technical guidance to member countries. All this was an institutional mechanism, how will it be implemented? Isn't it? Then some achievements, the ozone layer has recovered a little. Global production and consumption of CFCs and other ODs have fallen by over 99% since the Protocols were adopted. This means that global production and consumption of CFCs have fallen by over 99% since the Protocols were adopted. Meaning, now its substitute gases are being used in refrigerators and air conditioning. Because a person cannot live without AC. It is so hot and so humid. The Antarctic ozone hole is on a confirmed path to recovery for the 2023 UNEP WMO Quadrennial Assessment. The 2023 UNEP assessment stated that the ozone hole is on a slight path to recovery. Full recovery is projected around 2066, 2045 and 2040. It is believed that if we continue to suppress CFCs at this pace, we will achieve full recovery in Antarctica by 2066, in the Northern Hemisphere by 2045, and in the rest of the world by 2040. Widely regarded as the most successful international environmental treaty in history due to the Universal Ratification and Adaptation Amendments. This means that it is considered the most successful environmental treaty at the global level because everyone accepted it and made adaptive amendments to it. What is India's Role and Compliance? Come in a minute. What is India's role and compliance that India has successfully phased out CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform and schedule. India has successfully phased out these gases. Currently implementing its HCFC phase out management plan. And what is going on these days is that there is a plan to phase out HCFC i.e. Hydrochlorofluorocarbon. Having ratified we have signed the Gaali Amendment 2021. Therefore, India has said that it will stop the consumption of HFCs by 2028 and will phase it down by 80% by 2047. India's Ozone Cell under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal implementing agency. And who is doing all this ? There is an Ozone Cell in India which works under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and it is its nodal implementing agency which is implementing it. Then there is the criticism and ongoing challenges that illegal production and trade in band ODS is such as unauthorized this this periodically threatens progress means that illegal production is still going on. Isn't it ? This will continue as long as there is no honesty among people. We are again transitioning to low GWP and natural refrigerant alternatives which pose technological and cost challenges, especially for MSMEs. They are saying that brother, this was cheaper than CFC, now when the substitute is being used without it, they are saying that it is expensive, there are technological and cost challenges and it is especially difficult for MSMEs which are medium and small, micro and small medium enterprises. Then Balancing Ozone Protection with Climate Mitigation Requires Continuous Scientific and Policy Coordination. That means, only when the science and policy work together, we can protect the ozone layer. And long recovery timelines mean sustained vigilance and compliance are needed for decades to come. It is believed that we will do it by 200100. Will do it till 2047. We will do it by 2028, we will do it by 2032. Meaning this has to continue continuously. This is its biggest drawback. You can't stop this. This is the biggest challenge. You have to keep working on it all the time. Otherwise, whatever little recovery you have gained will be lost again. What is your takeaway that the Montreal Protocol is the only UN treaty with universal ratification? Meaning no one refused it. Facing out ozone repeating substances via binding schedules that so many days they will eliminate. We will finish it by this year. We will finish it by this year. Running with binding schedule. These are its successive amendments. London, Copenhagen, Montreal, Beijing and especially Kigali have expanded its scope to HFCS and climate change, which has increased its scope from chlorofluorocarbons to hydrofluorocarbons. Multilateral funds and UN agencies have supported developing countries, including India, in meeting their obligations. Funds are provided by the United Nations to support developing countries technologically and financially to meet their obligations and the ozone layer is confirmed to be recovering, making it the most successful international environmental treaty today. Illegal ODS trade and HFC transition costs remain challenges. He is saying that this is the first, that is, the world's most successful international environmental treaty, but the unethical trade of ODS and the transition cost of HFCs remain the biggest challenges for it. Ok, let's look at the question. State the year the Montreal Protocol was signed. Isn't it ? The Montreal Protocol is unique among Union treaties for being universally ratified by all 198 UN member states. All member nations of the United Nations agreed to this. Which substance group was the primary original target of the Montreal Protocol. Earlier there were only chlorofluorocarbons. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol primarily addresses this. These are hydrofluorocarbons which are powerful greenhouse gases. The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol primarily provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for ODS faced out according to UNEP. The end project was fully recovered around 2066, maybe 2066. You can see it in the answer now. India's nodal agency is Ozone Cell. It is a recognition challenge to the modern illegal trend in the use of ozone depleting substances. See, this is 1987, yes, the rest of your Montreal Protocol, I told you correctly, it was in 2006. Yes yes yes yes I have I was right. Okay, so this is your Montreal Protocol. Ok? Montreal Protocol yes 87 1987 yes I had forgotten its year. Ok? So another environmental treaty, protocol, amendment we came to know what is going on to protect the environment and we being an individual can also play a role in it. Only then will all this be achieved. Ok? So, thank you for watching and happy learning.