Caleb Management Services Ltd

Home

About Caleb

Chemicals

Climate Change

Sustainability

Ozone

Site Updates

Resources

Contact

Ozone Depletion and the Montreal Protocol

The discovery by Rowland and Molina back in 1974 of a potential mechanism by which stratospheric ozone could plausibly be depleted took the scientific and industrial world by storm. So much so, that it took a further 10 years for the world to come to terms with the implications. Even then, it was necessary to observe an actual ozone hole before the global community was mobilised to action. But mobilised it was, and the Montreal Protocol was the result in 1987.

Since then, a series of measures has been introduced to curb the use of ozone depleting substances (CFCs, HCFCs, Halons and others) under the guidance of a group of Assessment Committees covering the science of ozone depletion, the effects of ozone depletion and the technical and economic aspects of transition.

Caleb has been intimately involved in this process for over ten years with Paul Ashford serving as an active member of the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) as well as co-chair of the Technical Options Committee on Foams.

Although the Montreal Protocol is held by many to be a success (and indeed it is), this should not belittle the challenges that remain both in phasing out the on-going use of ozone depleting substances in developing (Article 5(1)) countries and in the technical, economic and environmental impacts of the substitutes that are replacing ozone depleting substances. Caleb continues to be active in supporting individual governments and affected industry sectors throughout the world in the implementation of their phase-out strategies and this is likely to continue for at least another 5-10 years. This extends as far as specific project review in some cases. As progress is made in consumption phase-out, a growing focus is being placed on product end-of-life issues, where there are substantial further opportunities to mitigate emissions. Caleb has been a leading influence in this area, particularly in the insulation foam sector where blowing agents are effectively stored in closed cells.

The Montreal Protocol also provides the global community with a marvelous case study when considering future environmental action. It is of little surprise, therefore, that many involved in the Montreal Protocol process are now assisting in other areas such as climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. Caleb is no exception and the company is particularly active in assessing the overall global warming impact of substitute chemicals and related technologies.

While lessons can be transferred from one protocol to another, the global community should not kid itself that other initiatives will be as efficient as Montreal. The ozone issue involved a well-defined group of industries with a clear incentive to act to avoid adverse market perception and a growing regulatory framework. The fact that individual consumer choice was not seriously affected was an additional element in the Protocol's favour. For climate and other issues, the challenges are more pervasive and wider sustainability issues emerge.