Previous Year Question
Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances?
Bretton Woods Conference
Montreal Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
Nagoya Protocol
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The Montreal Protocol is the international agreement associated with controlling and phasing out the production and consumption of substances that deplete the ozone layer.
Its full name is the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
It was adopted on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989.
It was created under the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer of 1985.
The stratospheric ozone layer absorbs a large portion of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet-B radiation.
Chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting substances reach the stratosphere and break down under ultraviolet radiation.
Chlorine and bromine radicals released during their decomposition can destroy large numbers of ozone molecules through catalytic reactions.
The Montreal Protocol established time-bound reductions for controlled substances such as CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, methyl bromide and HCFCs.
Different schedules were established for developed and developing countries to account for their different capacities and development needs.
A Multilateral Fund was established under the Montreal Protocol to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries.
The Montreal Protocol is regarded as one of the most successful international environmental agreements and has achieved universal ratification.
The Kigali Amendment of 2016 added a framework for the phased reduction of the production and consumption of HFCs.
HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer, but many of them are greenhouse gases with extremely high global warming potential.
The Bretton Woods Conference of 1944 concerned the international monetary and financial system and the establishment of the IMF and World Bank.
The Kyoto Protocol was a UNFCCC agreement concerning reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries.
The Nagoya Protocol concerns access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation.