Montreal Convention for the Protection of Ozone

States have actively participated in the efforts of the international community to restore the ozone layer. Actions to reduce CFC consumption have allowed States to comply widely with the reduction measures required by the Montreal Protocol.

The Montreal Protocol could be seen as a successful example of environmental policy where the international community was able to agree on a rapid and substantial reduction in the consumption and production of halogen compounds immediately after the discovery of this phenomenon, which caused the depletion of the ozone layer in the Antarctic. In this sense, it is important to stress that this Agreement is of particular importance to all the inhabitants of the planet.

Most States have actively participated in the efforts of the international community to restore the ozone layer and have been part of this important process through the ratification of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer by Law No. 23.724 and 23.778 in January and September 1990 on Respectively.

In 2010, the first global phase-out date for certain controlled substances, particularly CFCs, halons and carbon tetrachloride, was reached. For half a century, these materials have been widely used in refrigerants, boilers, electronic circuit breakers and polyurethane foam fire fighting, among other uses. As a result, they were released into the atmosphere in sufficient quantity to cause widespread damage to stratospheric ozone, affecting the entire planet and in particular the South American cone.

As part of the actions to restore the ozone layer, the Montreal Act imposes on the international community an obligation to promote the conversion of the industrial and agricultural sectors used in production processes to ozone-depleting substances with the ultimate goal of eliminating them. Actions to reduce CFC consumption have led to countries' compliance with the reduction measures required by the Montreal Protocol. Consumption in 2005 was reduced by 65%, much higher than the required 50%. During 2009, consumption dropped to 2.5% and was only for medical use.