The Ozone

Story
Presentation

Ozone Secretariat
UNEP
(updated July 2003)
 Ozone
Distribution in
the Atmosphere

80 MESOSPHERE

60
STRATOSPHERE

40

TROPOSPHERE
20
km Ozone Partial
0 50 100 150 Pressure (η b)
 Scientific Background
I
History
1839: Ozone discovered by C. F. Schönbein when
observing electrical discharges.
1850s: Ozone shown to be a natural atmospheric
constituent.
1880: Experiments show that Ozone strongly absorbs
Solar Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
1913: Proof that most of the atmosphere's ozone is
located in the stratosphere.
1920: G. M. B. Dobson (an Oxford Scientist) perfected
an instrument to monitor quantitatively total
atmospheric ozone.

Updated July 2003 3

 Scientific Background II
The Current Science
■ The global Ozone layer recovery has been linked
mainly to decreasing Chlorine and Bromine loading,
but other factors such as the role of Green house
gases and climate change are likely to contribute.
■ Total Combined effective abundance of Ozone
depleting compounds in the lower atmosphere
peaked in 1992-1994 and since then it has been
declining slowly.
■ The abundance of HCFCs in the lower atmosphere is
increasing.
■ Chlorine abundance in the stratosphere is at or near
its peak but Bromine abundance seems to be still
increasing.

Updated July 2003 4

 Scientific Background II
The Current Science (continued.)
■ The ozone depletion in the Antarctic, the Arctic and
the mid-latitudes is still continuing, due to past
emissions of CFCs. It will peak in the next few years.
■ The Montreal Protocol is working and Ozone depletion
from the Protocol’s controlled substances is expected
to start recovering within the next decade or so.
■ Even with full compliance of the Montreal Protocol, the
Ozone layer will remain particularly vulnerable for the
next decade or so. Failure to comply with the Montreal
Protocol will delay or even prevent the recovery of the
Ozone layer.
Updated July 2003 5
 Why Protect the Ozone
Layer?
■ Ozone Depletion leads to excessive UV-B radiation.
■ Excessive UV-B radiation leads to:
◆ More skin cancers and eye cataracts.
◆ Less productivity of plants.
◆ Loss of immunity to diseases.

◆ Adverse effects on plastics.

Updated July 2003 6

 CFCs: Ozone Depleting
Substances
1928: CFCs invented;
1950-70s: Consumption and use of CFCs rises rapidly
during the 50s-70s period. Used in Aerosols,
Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and
Manufacturing of Foams.

Updated July 2003 7

 Scientific Activity on
Ozone
1971: CFCs measured in the atmosphere.
1974: Rowland and Molina link CFCs with Ozone
Depletion.
1977: Plan of Action on Ozone Layer established by
UNEP in collaboration with WMO. UNEP sets up
Co-ordinating Committee on Ozone Layer
(CCOL).
1985: Findings on "The Ozone Hole" over the
Antarctic (during spring) published by the
British Antarctic Survey.

Updated July 2003 8

 Measurements of Ozone and
Reactive Chlorine from a
Flight Into the Antarctic
Ozone Hole, 1987
(Smoking gun..)
3000 1.5

Ozone
2500 (Scale at Left)

Reactive Chlorine Abundance

Ozone Abundance

(Parts per Billion)

2000
(Parts per Billion)

1.0

1500

1000 0.5

500 Reactive Chlorine Antarctic

(Scale at Right) Polar Air
0 0
63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
Latitude (Degrees South)

Updated July 2003 9

 Scientific Activity on
Ozone
(continued.)
1985: First Scientific Assessment of Stratospheric
Ozone.
1987: Observations prove that the more the Chlorine in
the Atmosphere, the less the amount of Ozone.
1989: Scientific Assessment of Stratospheric Ozone
under the Vienna Convention and Montreal
Protocol
1991: Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion under
the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol.

Updated July 2003 10

 Scientific Activity on
Ozone
(continued.)
1994: Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion under
the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol.
1995: Nobel prize received by 3 scientists (Crutzen,
Molina and Rowland) for pioneering the
research on Ozone Depletion.
1998: Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion under
the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol.
2002: Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion under
the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol.

Updated July 2003 11

 International
Commitments
1985: Vienna Convention for the Protection of the
Ozone Layer calls for voluntary measures to
reduce emissions of ozone-depleting
substances (ODS).
1987: Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete
the Ozone Layer establishes a schedule to
reduce the production and consumption of
CFCs and Halons.

Updated July 2003 12

 International
Commitments
(continued.)
1990,92,95,97,99:
At meetings in London, Copenhagen, Vienna,
Montreal and Beijing Parties approve
adjustments and/or amendments to the
Montreal Protocol to stipulate/accelerate the
phase-out schedules and add additional
ozone-depleting substances to the list.
1994: production and consumption of Halons by
developed countries is stopped except for
essential uses.

Updated July 2003 13

 Ozone Protocol and
Amendments
Ratification Status
Ozone Protocol and Amendments Ratification Status
(Information sent to the Ozone Secretariat by the Depositary, UN Office of Legal Affairs, July, 2003)

200
Vienna Convention (185)
Montreal Protocol (184)
180
London Amendment (165)
Copenhagen Amendment (150)
160
Montreal Amendment (101)
Beijing Amendment (50)
140
Number of Countries

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
1987

1990

1993

1996

1998

2004
1986

1988

1989

1991

1992

1994

1995

1997

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003
Year

Updated July 2003 14

 Ratification of the
Montreal Protocol
(July 2003)
Countries that have NOT ratified the
Montreal Protocol
Afghanistan Niue
Bhutan Andorra
Cook Islands Holy Sea
Equatorial Guinea San Marino
Eritrea East Timor
Iraq

Countries that have NOT Ratified the Montreal

Protocol (11 Countries)
Updated July 2003 15
 International
Commitments
(continued.)
1995: The phase-out schedule of all Ozone depleting
substances applicable to developing parties is
agreed by the parties with a ten-year grace period.
1996: Production and consumption of CFCs , Carbon
tetrachloride and methyl chloroform by
developed countries stopped except for
essential uses while consumption of HBFCs
stopped for all parties
1997: A system for licensing the import and export
of all ozone depleting substances becomes
mandatory to all parties to the Montreal
Protocol in order to control illegal trade.

Updated July 2003 16

 World CFC Production
1950 World
- 2002CFC Production 1950-2002
Source: DuPont, Worldwatch estimates and Ozone Secretariat
1400

Montreal Protocol Signed (1987)

1200

First Ozone depletion

theory published
1000
(1974)
Thousand Tons

800

600

400

200

0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Year
Updated July 2003 17
 Financial Mechanism -
The Multilateral Fund of the
Montreal Protocol
1991: The Multilateral Fund established, with UNDP,
UNEP, UNIDO and World Bank as the implementing
agencies, to provide financial and technical
assistance to developing countries (Article 5) to
enable them comply with the control measures.
 The Multilateral Fund of the Protocol has been very
successful. It has, between 1991 - 2002
disbursed close to $1.5 billion to more than 100
developing countries to phase-out more than half
of their CFC consumption. It will continue
assistance till the phase-out is completed.
Updated July 2003 18
 Replenishments of the
Multilateral Fund of the
Montreal Protocol since 1990
No. Years Amount Cumulative Year/ Venue
covered millions US$

1* 1991-1993 200 200 1991/Nairobi

2 1994-1996 455 655 1993/Bangkok
3 1997-1999 466 1,121 1996/Costa Rica
4 2000-2002 440 1,561 1999/Beijing
5 2003-2005 474 2,035 2002/Rome
* In 1990, the Parties in Decision II/8 established on an interim basis a fund of
US$160,000,000 which was increased in 1991 to US$200,000,000
Updated July 2003 19
 Cumulative Replenishments
of the Multilateral Fund of
the Montreal Protocol
2,500
Cumulative Replenishment

New Replenishment
2,000
(million US$)

1,500

1,000

500

-
1991-1993 1994-1996 1997-1999 2000-2002 2003-2005

Replenishment Period

Updated July 2003 20

 Cumulative Allocations and
Provisions by
Cumulative Allocations andthe MLF
Provisions and
by the MLF

ODS Phased Out Since 1991

and ODS Phased Out Since 1991
( Source: MLF Executive Meetings Reports )

140000
Cumulative ODP Tonnes
1400
Cumulative Funds Approved

120000
1200

100000
1000
ODP Tonnes of CFC

80000

US$ Million
800

60000
600

40000
400

20000 200

0 0
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year

Updated July 2003 21

 Implementing Agencies by
the Multilateral Fund of the
Montreal Protocol (as at 11
July 2003)
Agency US$ million
1. UNEP 74.1
(Information clearing house, preparation of country programmes,
institutional strengthening, networking and training)
2. UNDP (Technical assistance and Investment projects) 409.0
3. UNIDO (Investment projects) 319.2
4. World Bank (Investment projects) 621.4
Total 1,423.7
Updated July 2003 22
 Countries with
Economies in Transition
(CEIT Countries)
■ The Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted the Russian
Federation and other Eastern and Central Europe countries
(CEITs) to implement the Montreal Protocol.
■ Russian Federation phased out its CFC and Halon
production and consumption in 2001.
■ GEF approved over US$ 160 million to 18 countries.
■ The countries that have been assisted: Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russian
Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Updated July 2003 23

 CEIT Countries (continued.)

■ With support from GEF, consumption of CFCs in

these countries has decreased from 146,000 tonnes
in 1986 to only 1,340 tonnes in 2001. These
countries have thus almost completed their phase-
out of Annex A and B substances as provided by the
Montreal Protocol.
■ Additional funds of US$ 60 million ear-marked by GEF to
CEIT countries for HCFC and Methyl Bromide phase-out.

Updated July 2003 24

 Achievements
■ Global Production of CFCs and Halons fell by over
one million tonnes (by 89%) between 1986 and
2000.
■ Global Consumption fell in the same period by the
same margin (89%)
■ Atmospheric Concentration of Chlorine peaked in
1994 and is now declining.
■ Millions of cases of Eye Cataracts and Skin Cancer
averted
■ Recovery of the Ozone Layer expected by the year
2050, if the Protocol is fully implemented by all
Parties.

Updated July 2003 25

 Atmospheric Concentrations of CFC-11, CFC-12,
CFC-113, Carbon Tetrachloride, Methyl
Chloroform
Atmospheric and Total
Concentrations Gaseous
of CFC-11, Chlorine
CFC-12, CFC-113, Carbon
Tetrachloride, Methyl Chloroform and Total Gaseous Chlorine
(Source: World Resource 1998-1999, WRI)

600 3000
CFC-11
CFC-12
CFC-113
500 Carbon Tetrachloride 2500

Total Gaseous Chlorine in PPT

Methyl Chloroform
Total Gaseous Chlorine
Gas Abundance in PPT

400 2000

300 1500

200 1000

100 500

0 0
1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Year
Updated July 2003 26
 Total Chlorine Abundance in the
Stratophere
Source: 2002 assessment of the Science Assessment Panel

Comments
◆ Total chlorine abundance in the Stratophere is at or near its peak.
◆ Total chlorine and bromide abundance in the lower atmosphere peaked in 1992-1994 and
continues to decline.
◆ Largely consistent with reported production of ODSs, CFC-11 abundance is near its peak,
abundance of CTC and MCF is dropping but abundance of HCFC and halons is still increasing

Updated July 2003 27

 Halons in the
Atmosphere
Measured Atmospheric Concentrations of Halon-1211 Measured Atmospheric Concentrations of Halon-1301
at Cape Grim, Tasmania at Cape Grim, Tasmania
(Source: Stratopheric Ozone 1996) (Source: Stratopheric Ozone 1996)
3.6 2.4

3.2
2
2.8
H-1211 Mixing Ratio (pptv)

H-1301 Mixing Ratio (pptv)

2.4 1.6

2.0
1.2
1.6

1.2 0.8

0.8
0.4
0.4

0.0 0
197 198 198 198 198 198 199 199 199 199 199 197 198 198 198 198 198 199 199 199 199 199
8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 8 0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8
Year Year

Updated July 2003 28

 If there were no
Protocol, .....
■ The ozone depletion by the year 2050 would have
been at least 50% in the mid latitudes in the
northern half of the earth, 70% in the mid latitudes
of the south, about 10 times larger than today. The
UV-B radiation would have doubled in the north and
quadrupled in the south in the same places. The
ozone depleting chemicals in the atmosphere would
have been 5 times higher.
■ The implications of this increase would have been
horrendous - 19 million more cases of non-
melanoma cancer, 1.5 million cases of melanoma
cancer, 130 million more cases of eye cataracts.
Updated July 2003 29
 Larger Ozone Losses Avoided
Ozone-Damaging Stratospheric Chlorine/Bromine

– ] ²
No Protocol

– š ²

Abundance (parts per trillion)

Montreal
Protocol
– ײ

› ²
Copenhagen
Amendments

-
Year

20,000
Total
18,000
Melanoma Deaths
16,000 Non-Melanoma Deaths
14,000
Deaths Averted

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0
1980 2000 2020
Updated July 2003 30 2040 2060 2080 2100
Year
 Challenges
■ Many Parties are yet to ratify the Amendments to
the Montreal Protocol.
■ Meeting the control measures for production and
consumption of CFCs in the developing countries:

1. The developing countries began their phase-out

of ODSs with a freeze on CFCs from 1 July 1999,
and a freeze from 1 January 2002 on Halons and
Methyl Bromide.
2. In 2005, a 50% reduction in CFCs and Halons,
and a 20% reduction in Methyl Bromide, is
required.

Updated July 2003 31

 Challenges
(continued.)
■ Meeting the control measure of complete phase-
out of Methyl Bromide in the industrialised
countries in 2005 and minimzing the quantities of
Methyl Bromide used in those countries through
Critical Use Exemptions.
■ Meeting the control measure of 35% reduction of
the production and consumption of HCFCS in the
industrialised countries from 1 January 2004.

Updated July 2003 32

 Challenges
(continued.)
■
Flow of illegal CFCs to the industrialised countries is of
concern. Developing countries are concerned about
increasing flow to their countries of CFC- containing
products, for example refrigerators, from countries,
which have adopted Ozone-safe products. This will
increase the demand for CFCs for maintenance of
these products in developing countries implementation
of ODS licensing system could check this problem.
■ Global warming could increase ozone depletion.
Also, HFCs, used as alternatives for CFCs in some
applications, have global warming potential and are
controlled by the Kyoto Protocol. These inter-
connections need to be studied.

Updated July 2003 33

 Global Warming Potential of
some Ozone Depleting
Substances and Alternatives

Updated July 2003 34

 Key Decisions
■ Decision XI/9 on control of export of products and
equipment whose continuing functioning relies on
Annex A and Annex B substances.

■ The decision recommends each Party to adopt

legislative and legislative measures, including
labelling of products and equipment, to regulate the
export and import, as appropriate, of products,
equipment, components and technology whose
continuing functioning relies on substances in
Annex A and annex B of the Montreal Protocol..

Updated July 2003 35

 Key Decisions
(continued.)
■ Decision X/9 on establishment of a list of countries
that do not manufacture for domestic use and do not wish to
import products and equipment whose continuing functioning
relies on Annex A and Annex B substances.

■ On a voluntary basis, the decision invites Parties that do

not manufacture for domestic use, products and equipment
listed in the decision and do not permit the importation of such
products and equipment from any source, to inform the
Secretariat, that they do not wish to receive imports of
such products and equipment.

Updated July 2003 36

 Key Decisions
(continued.)
■ The Secretariat maintains a list of such Parties which is updated
and distributed to Parties on annual basis.

■ Decision XIV/7 on monitoring of trade in ozone- depleting

substances and prevention of illegal trade in ODS. The decision, inter
alia, invites Parties to report to the Ozone Secretariat fully proved
cases of illegal trade in ODS to facilitate exchange of information.
Such information received from the Parties will be disseminated
periodically by the Secretariat to all Parties.

Updated July 2003 37

 Licensing System
Article 4B (Licensing) of the Protocol
■ Each Party is required to introduce a licensing system
for import and export of ozone-depleting substances
effective 1 January 2000 and report to the Secretariat
on the establishment and operation of such a system
within three months.

Updated July 2003 38

 Compliance
■ The effective implementation of the Montreal Protocol
and the considerable achievement in phasing out
ozone-depleting substances owes a great deal to:
(a) Effective monitoring of compliance through the non-
compliance procedure by the Implementation
Committee and the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
(b) The financial mechanism of the Montreal Protocol
through the Multilateral Fund as well as the Global
Environmental Facility.
(c) The Secretariat’s monitoring of information reporting,
follow up action and appropriate recommendations for
measures to be taken by the Parties.

Updated July 2003 39

 Developing
Countries
■ Fifteen years ago, the share of the developing
countries in the total production of CFCs was 5.2%.
In 2000, it is 58%. For Halons it was 5.7% fifteen
years ago and is 93% now.

Updated July 2003 40

 Lessons of the
Montreal Protocol
■ Precautionary principle
■ Sustainable development
■ Integration of science with policy
■ Recognition of the special situation, of the developing
countries
■ Need for international cooperation to solve
transboundary environmental problems
■ Common but differentiated responsibility among parties
■ Flexibility to take into account scientific and technological
developments over time.

Updated July 2003 41