The Montreal Protocol: Celebrating 20 Years of Environmental Progress
Editor: Donald Kaniaru
Publisher: Cameron May (2007)

In its first 20 years, the Montreal Protocol has phased out more than 95 percent of global production of ozone-depleting substances and placed the ozone layer on a path to recovery later this century. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Anan has referred to the Montreal Protocol as the world's most successful multilateral environmental agreement, and its effectiveness in protecting the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation shows that global environmental problems can be solved through international cooperation.

In addition to protecting the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol's success has resulted in unexpected benefits to the climate. Chlorofluorcarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances are among the world's most powerful greenhouse gases, and their phase-out is avoiding 135 billion tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent from 1990 to 2010. This is delaying climate change, in terms of radiative forcing, by up to 12 years. If voluntary and domestic restrictions on CFCs in the 1970s are taken into account, the delay is 35-41 years. In other words: without the Montreal Protocol, the climate impacts forecast for mid-century would be here today.

The Montreal Protocol: Celebrating 20 Years of Environmental Progress chronicles the early history of efforts to protect the ozone layer, demonstrating that it is only with the benefit of hindsight that protecting the ozone layer appears "easier" than mitigating climate change. At the time, there was skepticism as to the validity of the science, few feasible substitutes for ozone depleting substances, and concerns that the costs of ozone protection would wreck the global economy. After all, CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals were seen as the key to the modern way of life, used in everything from hairspray to telecommunications - and in virtually every weapons system in militaries across the world.

The underlying theme of this book is that the monumental ozone and climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol were not easily achieved, and similar dedication and hard work is required for future accomplishments, both in completing the job of protecting the ozone layer and in meeting the challenge of climate change.

This book takes a comprehensive look at the Montreal Protocol from its very beginnings to the present, looking toward the future. Section I: Early History: Science, Diplomacy, and Leadership is comprised of articles that focus on the events leading up to the creation of the treaty and its early years. Section II: Dynamic Evolution: Technology, Assessment, and Funding lays out the structure of the Montreal Protocol, including the development of the Multilateral Fund which has made possible the involvement of developing countries in the phase-outs of ozone-depleting substances. The readings in Section III: New Challenges: Following Through with Ozone and Joining the Climate Battle, take the lessons of the Montreal Protocol and explore how they might be adapted and applied to climate change.

The book's appendix also provides reference material and other information on the recent historic agreement by the Parties in September to accelerate the phase-out of HCFCs, which in addition to protecting the ozone layer will avoid approximately 15 billion tons of CO2-equivalent in emissions over the course of the phase-out.

Contributors to this book, which was edited by Donald Kaniaru and distributed at the 20th Anniversary meeting of the Protocol, include Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina, Guus Velders, K. Madhava Sarma, Durwood Zaelke, Rajendra Shende, Romina Picolotti, Stephen O. Anderson, Mostafa Tolba, Richard Benedick, and others.

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