UNEP IN 2022

In the 35th year of the UNEP-hosted Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, research showed that this agreement had delivered higher climate benefits than expected. One study indicates that the Protocol may have warded off 1.7°C of warming by the end of the century by banning ozone-depleting substances that contribute to global warming.

The same study found that, without the Montreal Protocol, ultraviolet radiation would have destroyed ecosystems, leading to the release of 690 billion tonnes of carbon currently being held in plants and soil. The additional temperature increase avoided was estimated at 0.5-1°C. Under its Kigali Amendment, the Protocol is pursuing further benefits by phasing down hydrofluorocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas, and increasing the energy efficiency of cooling equipment.

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The UNEP-hosted International Methane Emissions Observatory has helped reduce methane emissions, the second-biggest driver of global warming. Photo: Getty Images
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