EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Connie Hedegaard
European Commissioner for Climate Action
25th Anniversary of the Montreal
Protocol
Speech on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol
Geneva, 11 November 2012
SPEECH/12/798
I would like to thank the Swiss government for the invitation to participate today and to
celebrate the 25thanniversary of the Montreal Protocol and its amazing successes.
The discovery of the hole in the ozone layer captured the world's attention in the mid1980s. People became aware that everyday products like deodorant sprays or
fridges contained dangerous man-made chemicals; and that these chemicals were
attacking the ozone layer that protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
The discovery of the ozone hole also showed that mankind is capable of doing damage to
the global environment. This is a lesson that is important today as the world population
heads towards more than 9 billion.
The Montreal Protocol has shown that –when the international community gets together
and decides to act, it brings results: the global consumption of ozone depleting
substance has been reduced by some 98%. If the international community continues
implementing the Protocol the ozone layer should recover fully by the second half of this
century. In this way, tens of millions of skin cancer and cataract cases have been
avoided.
The European Union has been a leader in this process. We have not only implemented
what has been agreed but on many occasions have moved faster than
the Montreal protocol requires.
For instance, we completed the phase-out of HCFC consumption in 2010, which was10
years ahead of the deadline. We have also completely phased out methyl bromide which
was used to control pests.
By forcing the pace we have given a clear incentive to industry to innovate and take a
lead in developing environmentally sound alternatives for the world market. A striking
example is the introduction of refrigerators using hydrocarbons as early as 1992. Today
this technology is used worldwide.
I believe there are some important lessons from our work within the Montreal Protocol.
First, the Protocol is legally binding on all parties, which means that it has teeth. The EU
will be pressing very hard for the new climate treaty to be legally binding as well.
Second, we need to set targets which are ambitious and that can be adjusted swiftly to
keep up with advances in scientific knowledge. The possibility of 'adjustments' under the
Montreal Protocol is a successful mechanism that would be worth considering in the
context of the climate negotiations.
Third, the Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund shows that targeted financial support is
key in ensuring that the targets are met. To date, the Multilateral Fund had approved
over €2.15 billion to support more than 6800 projects in 145 developing countries.
Fourth, the Montreal Protocol includes trade provisions [that preclude parties to trade in
ozone depleting substances with non-parties] that make it less attractive for countries to
be free-riders and not participate in the joint effort.
Fifth, the Montreal Protocol has put in place a robust non-compliance procedure with the
"Implementation Committee". This approach, which is meant to be supportive rather
than punitive, has proven to be very effective.
Lastly, the Montreal Protocol itself has also done a huge amount to combat climate
change. It is estimated that phasing out ozone depleting substances has
avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 135 billion tonnes of CO2.
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However, these climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol, 4-5 times more than what was
achieved so far under Kyoto, are increasingly threatened by a rapid rise in
emissions from HFCs, which are coming into widespread use as replacements for their
ozone-depleting predecessors.
In our view, the Montreal Protocol is therefore best placed to support global action
on HFCs since it has the relevant institutions and tools to deal with this
problem. There could be no better way to mark the Montreal Protocol's 25thanniversary
than by launching a global phase-down of HFCs.
We firmly believe that suitable alternatives with low climate effects are already
available. Such alternatives are:
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technically feasible including in warm climates,
safe,
energy efficient, and
economic.
This is why the European Commission is proposing ambitious EU-internal action to
reduce HFCs in a proposal we have presented last Wednesday. I am proud to be able
to announce here today that we propose to phase-down the supply of HFCs to the EU
market from 2015 to 2030, in order to achieve a 80% reduction compared to the
average supply from 2008 to 2011. In addition we will continue our efforts to contain
HFCs in use. But, we also proposed to introduce placing on the market prohibitions for
certain HFCs appliances when there are effective alternatives readily available. Together
with effective end-of-life treatment of waste HFC we are confident to meet the ambition
levels of the amendment proposals on a global phase-down put forward by a number of
parties, which we as the European Union strongly support.
By demonstrating in the EU that climate-friendly products are technically feasible and
represent a great business opportunity, we hope to stimulate global action on
HFC emissions.
There is a chance today that – instead of phasing-in high climate-warming F-gases –
developing countries could leapfrog the F-gas challenge. Moving from substances that
deplete the ozone layer directly to climate-friendly alternatives in the same appliances
can be achieved if we act quickly at the international level!
So, let's not miss this opportunity and let us make progress, here in Geneva but also at
the UNFCCC COP in Doha later this month, towards an international agreement to reduce
F-gas emissions globally.
I would like to finish by thanking all people that have contributed to the success of the
Montreal Protocol over the past 25 years. I would especially like to thank the current
Executive Secretary – Marco Gonzalez – for his leadership in recent years. You can all be
very proud today. And I hope that in the coming years, the fight against climate change
will achieve as good results as those achieved by the Montreal Protocol.
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