Chemicals Phase Out Schedules - Public Information

Summary Control Measures

Ninety-six (96) chemicals are presently controlled by the Montreal Protocol, including:
Halo-carbons, notably chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Halons. CFCs were discovered in 1928 and were considered wonder gases because they are long-lived, non-toxic, non-corrosive, and non-flammable. They are also versatile and from the 1960s were increasingly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, spray cans, solvents, foams, and other applications. CFC-11 remains in the atmosphere for 50 years, CFC-12 for 102 years, and CFC-115 for 1,700. Halon 1301 is used primarily in fire extinguishers and has an atmospheric lifetime of 65 years.

Carbon tetrachloride is used as a solvent and takes about 42 years to break down in the atmosphere.Methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane) is also used as a solvent and takes about 5.4 years to break down.

Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs) are not widely used, but they have been included under the Protocol to prevent any new uses.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were developed as the first major replacement for CFCs. While much less destructive than CFCs, HCFCs also contribute to ozone depletion. They have an atmospheric lifetime of about 1.4 to 19.5 years.

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is used as a fumigant for high-value crops, pest control, and quarantine treatment of agricultural commodities awaiting export. Total world annual consumption is about 70,000 tonnes, most of it in the industrialized countries. It takes about 0.7 years to break down.

Bromochloromethane (BCM), a new ozone-depleting substance that some companies sought to introduce into the market in 1998, has been targeted by the 1999 Amendment for immediate phase-out to prevent its use.

The Parties are considering measures to prevent the marketing of new ozone-depleting substances not so far covered by the Protocol.

The phase-out schedules for developed countries are as follows:
Phase out Halons by 1994;

Phase out CFCs, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, and HBFCs by 1996;

Reduce methyl bromide by 25% by 1999, 50% by 2001, 70% by 2003, and phase out by 2005; and
Reduce HCFCs by 35% by 2004, 65% by 2010, 90% by 2015, and 99.5% by 2020, with 0.5% permitted for maintenance purposes only until 2030.

Phase out HBFCs by 1996 and phase out BCM immediately.

Developing countries have a grace period before they must start their phase-out schedules. This reflects the recognition that developed countries are responsible for the bulk of total emissions into the atmosphere and that they have more financial and technological resources for adopting replacements.

The developing country schedules are as follows:
Phase out HBFCs by 1996 and phase out BCM immediately;

Freeze CFCs, Halons and carbon tetrachloride at average 1995-97 levels by 1 July 1999, reduce by 50% by 2005, 85% by 2007, and phase out completely by 2010;

Freeze methyl chloroform by 2003 at average 1998-2000 levels, reduce by 30% by 2005, 70% by 2010, and phase out by 2015;

Freeze methyl bromide by 2002 at average 1995-98 levels, reduce by 20% by 2005, and phase out by 2015; and

The phase-out schedules cover both the production and the consumption of the target substances. However, even after phase out both developed and developing countries are permitted to produce limited quantities in order to meet the essential uses for which no alternatives have yet been identified, e.g. the use of CFCs in metered dose inhalers for asthma. Production is defined as total production minus amounts destroyed or used as chemical feedstock. Consumption is defined as production plus imports minus exports. Trade in recycled and used chemicals is not included in the calculation of consumption in order to encourage recovery, reclamation and recycling.