Bristol, TN - The Montreal Protocol, ratified by 27 nations in 1987, received an adjustment proposal on March 14th by the United States in order to speed up the elimination of ozone-depleting substances...
Since the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987, the U.S. has achieved a 90 percent reduction in the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances ending the production and import of over 1.7 billion pounds per year of these chemicals. Faster healing of the ozone layer will help prevent human health damages caused by excess UV radiation, including skin cancer.
The U.S. proposal includes four elements that can be considered individually or as a package:
- Accelerating the phase-out date of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 10 years;
- Adding interim reduction steps;
- Setting an earlier baseline;
- Phasing out the most damaging HCFCs to the ozone layer as the first priority.
Worldwide, The Montreal Protocol Has Cut In Half The Amount Of Global Warming Caused By Ozone-Destroying Chemicals That Would Have Occurred By 2010 Had These Chemicals Not Been Controlled.
Today, more than 190 countries participate in the Montreal Protocol to phase out ozone-depleting substances. Under the Montreal Protocol's first stage, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were phased out in developed countries by 1996 and replaced by less harmful HCFCs. We are now entering the Montreal Protocol's second stage, which aims to phase out HCFCs by 2030 for developed countries and 2040 for developing countries.
While the Montreal Protocol has already made tremendous strides to heal the ozone shield, the United States believes more steps can be taken to reduce HCFC consumption further and achieve a total phaseout sooner than the scheduled dates. Based on analysis, experience, and more rapid technology development, the U.S. technical team believes we can move faster by as much as ten years.
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