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The 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (Vienna Convention) and its 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol) were established to protect human health and the environment from the threat of ozone depletion. Both treaties have achieved universal ratification with 198 parties. The Vienna Convention calls on parties to cooperate on scientific research and observations. The Montreal Protocol controls 99 manufactured ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), most of which are also potent greenhouse gases. To date, the global implementation of the Montreal Protocol has led to the phase-out of 98.6 per cent of ODSs, or 1.75 million Ozone Depletion Potential tonnes, globally. The remaining 1.4 per cent (approximately 385,000 metric tonnes) is hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), with the commitment from developing countries to achieve full phase-out of these substances by 2030. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which entered into force on 1 January 2019, added 18 hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to the list of controlled substances. While HFCs do not destroy ozone, they are potent greenhouse gases. Thus, the HFC phase-down under the Kigali Amendment will make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change.
The Secretariat for the Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol submits this report to the 2021 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), in response to the invitation from the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council Mr Munit Akram.
The report follows the template provided in the letter of invitation. It presents the views of the Secretariat stemming from the work of the parties to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol up to the end of 2020, around the theme of 2021 High-level Political Forum "Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development".
The report attempts to highlight the contributions of the ozone treaties, as the world recovers from the pandemic and builds back its societies. It describes the contribution of the ozone treaties to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) under the in-depth review by HLPF in 2021, namely SGD 1 on no poverty, 2 on zero hunger, 3 on good health and well-being, 8 on decent work and economic growth, 10 on reduced inequalities, 12 on responsible consumption and production, 13 on climate action, 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions, and 17 on partnerships, taking into account an integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the SDGs. Goal 16 is not directly linked to the ozone treaties' work and so will not be mentioned in this report.
Before providing an account of our specific inputs to the SDGs in question, it is useful to see the general overview of how the ozone treaties, through their work, contribute to the implementation and achievement of Agenda 2030 and SDGs.
