Timor-Leste Makes Montreal
Protocol First
Global Environmental Agreement to Achieve
Universal Ratification
Nairobi, 16 September
2009 - A treaty to protect the ozone layer,
which shields all life on Earth from deadly
levels of ultra violet rays, has scored
a first in the history of international
environmental agreements.
Today Mr. Xanana Gusmão,
the Prime Minister of the young Pacific
nation of Timor-Leste, announced that it
had ratified the Montreal Protocol making
this the first environmental agreement to
achieve universal participation by 196 parties.
"Timor-Leste is
very pleased to be joining the rest of the
world in the fight against the depletion
of the ozone layer and the effort towards
its recovery. We are proud to be part of
this important process to protect the ozone
layer and undertake to implement and comply
with the Montreal Protocol like all other
States that preceded us in this important
journey," Mr. Gusmão said.
The historic announcement,
made on the UN's International Day for the
Preservation of the Ozone Layer, is the
latest in a rapidly evolving list of achievements
for the ozone treaties.
The Montreal Protocol,
established to phase-out the pollutants
that were damaging the planet's protective
shield, will in just three months' time
have completely retired close to 100 chemicals
linked with ozone damage.
Today, as the sun rises
in Australasia swiftly onto Timor-Leste
before setting on Hawaii, United States
- one of the first nations to ratify - countries
will be marking not only the recovery of
the ozone layer. They will also be celebrating
the unique contribution that the Montreal
Protocol has, and is continuing to contribute,
to combating other key challenges including
climate change.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary
General and Executive Director of the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP), said:"
The ratification by Timor-Leste makes this
special day even more special and a signal
that when the world fully and wholly unites
around an environmental challenge there
can be multiple and transformative effects".
"Without the Montreal
Protocol and its Vienna Convention, atmospheric
levels of ozone-depleting substances would
have increased tenfold by 2050 which in
turn could have led to up to 20 million
more cases of skin cancer and 130 million
more cases of eye cataracts, not to speak
of damage to human immune systems, wildlife
and agriculture," he added.
"Today we in addition
know that some of the same gases contribute
to climate change. By some estimates, the
phase-out of ozone-depleting substances
has since 11000 contributed a delay in global
warming of some seven to 12 years underlining
that a dollar spent on ozone has paid handsomely
across other environmental challenges,"
said Mr Steiner.
Marco González,
Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat
which is hosted by UNEP, said the focus
was now switching from the original gases
such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) to their
replacement gases known as HCFCs and HFCs
for uses in refrigerators, foams and flame
retardants.
In 2007 governments
agreed to accelerate the freeze and phase-out
hydrochloflurocarbons - or HCFCs - explicitly
for their climate change impacts.
The maximum benefits
here are only likely to occur if this goes
hand in hand with the introduction of more
energy efficient equipment that can work
with substances that have low or zero global
warming potential.
The focus is now also
rapidly shifting to hydroflurocarbons (HFCs).
This year scientists, reporting in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, suggested
that if these became the replacement substances
of choice, the climate impacts could be
serious.
The scientists argue
that HFC use could climb sharply in the
coming years in products such as insulation
foams air conditioning units and refrigeration
as replacements.
Conversely, rapid action
to freeze and to cut emissions annually
alongside fostering readily available alternatives
could see HFC emissions fall to under one
Gigatonne by 2050.
"Importantly, governments
last year requested the Executive Secretaries
of the Montreal Protocol and the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change to cooperate
more closely on these issues and this was
taken forward in 2009 in the spirit of One
UN," said Mr González.
In November in Port
Ghalib, Egypt, governments will meet under
the Montreal Protocol to chart the future
directions for the treaty including its
role in combating climate change.
Mr González emphasized
that "this historic meeting, hosted
by the Government of Egypt, will be the
first to bring together the highest number
ever of participating States for decision-making
under an international treaty."
These discussions will
come just days before the key climate meeting
in Copenhagen where nations are being urged
to Seal the Deal on significant emissions
reductions backed by support for adaptation
for vulnerable countries and communities.
The story of the ozone
layer also underlines that sustainably managing
the environment is less costly and time-consuming
than repairing damage once it has been done.
Even with the swift and decisive action
taken by governments under the Montreal
Protocol, the Earth's protective shield
is likely to take another 40 years to 50
years to fully recover.
Notes to Editors:
About the Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol
focuses on the protection of the earth's
ozone layer. This treaty has enabled both
developed and developing countries to achieve
a near total phase-out in the production
and use of most ozone depleting substances.
Because the majority
of ozone depleting substances are also potent
global warming gasses, the actions taken
under the Montreal Protocol have contributed
significantly to the global effort to address
climate change.
Interesting facts about
the Montreal Protocol
- The Montreal Protocol
has achieved universal participation by
all states in the world, the number of participating
States is 196, an achievement unprecedented
by any treaty;
- It is estimated that
without the Protocol, by the year 2050 ozone
depletion would have risen to at least 50%
in the northern hemisphere's mid latitudes
and 70% in the southern mid latitudes, about
10 times worse than current levels;
- The Montreal Protocol
is estimated to have prevented:
19 million more cases
of non-melanoma cancer
1.5 million more cases
of melanoma cancer
130 million more cases
of eye cataracts
- Ninety seven per cent
of all ozone depleting substances controlled
by the global treaty known as the Montreal
Protocol have been phased out - but what
remains is still a challenge to eliminate;
- Global observations
have verified that atmospheric levels of
key ozone depleting substances are going
down and it is believed that with implementation
of the Protocol's provisions the ozone layer
should return to pre-1980 levels by 2050
to 2075;
- In 2003, political
recognition of the Protocol came in the
statement of then United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan, who termed the Montreal
Protocol "perhaps the single most successful
international environmental agreement to
date".
The Ozone Layer
The Ozone layer protects
the earth's inhabitants from harmful UV
radiation and is essential for life on Earth,
as it screens out lethal UV-B radiation.
Increased UV-B from ozone depletion can
lead to
- More melanoma and
non-melanoma skin-cancers
- More eye cataracts
- Weakened immune systems
- this may contribute to viral reactivation
and a reduction of effectiveness of vaccines
- Reduced plant yields,
changes in plant growth and form
- Damage to ocean eco-systems
and reduced fishing yields
- Damage to wood and
plastics
For additional information please visit
the Ozone Secretariat website (ozone.unep.org)
or contact:
Nick Nuttall
Maria Saldanha
For the UN Secretary General message on
the International Day for the Preservation
of the Ozone Layer, please visit: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12449.doc.htm
