In our quest to make our environment more sustainable, we turn to international environmental treaties and conventions that binds and regulates our contribution to the degradation of the environment. Perhaps two of the most popular of such treaties are the Montreal Protocol and the Kyoto Protocol. The Montreal Protocol (1987) on substances that deplete the ozone layer is an environmental treaty adopted by the international community to protect human health and the environment by gradually phasing out man-made chemicals that adversely affect the ozone layer (Montreal Protocol, n.d.). In the 1920s, coolants and refrigerators were extremely toxic that a leak could kill hence the introduction of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). However, in 1974, Sherwood and Mario Molina predicted that the ozone layer was speedily being eaten by CFCs, which was unfortunately the case. Faced with this dilemma, the global community came together in 1987 with more than 30 countries to phase out the production of CFCs. ((399) The Hole - A Film on the Montreal Protocol, narrated by Sir David Attenborough - YouTube, n.d.). The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in Japan in 1997 and entered into force in 2005 It had the object of stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of GHGs at a level that will prevent dangerous interference with the climate system (Ki-moon, 2008). However, treaties do not always meet our expectations. The Kyoto Protocol has widely been criticized and discredited. This paper attempts to discuss some reasons the Montreal Protocol was more successful than the Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol was the wrong solution at the right time not just because of an inadequate scope, but carrying high opportunity costs that derailed global efforts at achieving stable atmospheric concentrations greenhouse gases (GHG) (Rugeley & Gerlach, 2012a). They continue to argue that the Protocol is a fundamentally flawed agreement that set back solutions to climate change by two decades. They also blame the Protocol’s failure on the design of the Protocol which stacked the deck against success in mitigating climate change now and in the future. The authors classify the flaws of the Kyoto Protocol into themes; compliance, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Compliance which is the extent to which states alter their behavior consistently with the provisions of an institution, is a crucial consideration in evaluating a regime (Mitchell 2001; Vezirgiannidou 2009; Young 1994) as cited in (Rugeley & Gerlach, 2012a). Economic powers such as the United States and Canada signed out of the agreement during the second commitment period of the Protocol ((416) Kyoto Protocol | Kyoto Protocol to UNFCCC | Science Land - YouTube, n.d.). Canada’s carbon dioxide emissions increased by 25 percent from 1990 to 2012 while Japan’s emissions increased by 14 percent over the same period despite the required GHG emission reduction target of 5.2 percent below 1990 levels (Oliver et al. 2013) as cited in (Rugeley & Gerlach, 2012b).
The authors expand on the issue of efficiency and effectiveness. The fragmentation of the Kyoto Protocol and whether or not the Protocol achieved the purpose for which it was created was questionable. As noted by Rugeley & Gerlach (2012), the fragmentation of the Kyoto Protocol into a multitude of institutions and forums with overlapping coverage of key climate issues did more harm than good. They stress that global emissions did not decline or stay stagnant compared to the 1990 baseline year but rather increased. Countries not bound by the Protocol produced the most emissions. For example, China and the United States were together responsible for about 40 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions during the first commitment phase of the agreement (Rugeley & Gerlach, 2012b). There was an approximate increase of 14 percent of carbon dioxide during the first phase of the agreement which made questionable, the agreements effectiveness.
The Montreal Protocol on the other hand has seen unparalleled success with both the developed and developing countries broadly achieving their production phase-out targets for ozone depleting substances (ODSs) (Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2009). The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) describes the Montreal protocol as the one of the most successful environmental agreements to date and describes its widespread adoption and implementation as examples of exceptional international co-operation (Montreal Protocol, n.d.).
Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, The Montreal Protocol had universal ratification (Montreal Protocol | Kigali Amendment | Multilateral Fund | Science Land - YouTube, n.d.). This indicates massive participation; 197 countries. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol which targeted the industrial countries due to their emission footprints, the Montreal protocol was a call to action treaty imploring all countries (developed and developing) to take action to protect the ozone layer.
Regarding efficiency and effectiveness, the Montreal protocol is seen to have achieved its aim. Per estimates, by January 2010, the Montreal Protocol had reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 11 giga tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year through its phase-out activities of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) which amounts to about five to six times reductions targeted by the Kyoto Protocol during its first commitment phase of 2008 to 2012 (Montreal Protocol, n.d.).
A number of implementing agencies of the agreement have sprung forth over the years to facilitate the achievement of goals. It is important to note the establishment of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol established in 1991 to assist developing countries meet their commitments through industrial conversion, technical assistance, training and capacity building (EPA, n.d.). The United Nations Environment Program hosts a data access center where each country submits its ODS footprint which is then reported by the organization. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is another implementing agency of the Montreal Protocol which came into force in 1992 and whose contribution to the reduction in ODSs cannot be stressed enough. UNIDO, since 1992 has implemented 1,200 Montreal Protocol projects in its client countries contributing to the phase-out of 70,287 ozone depleting potential (ODP) of the world’s total consumption of ozone depleting substances, or 36 percent of 1992 levels (Montreal Protocol, n.d.).
In conclusion, the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer is gradually eliminating the production and consumption ODS to limit their damage to the earth’s ozone layer (EPA, n.d.). It is universally recognized and implemented. Its success could be attributed to its wide acceptance and implementation across the globe and supporting agencies and institutions that help in the realization of its goals such as UNIDO. Rugeley & Gerlach (2012b) do not mince words when they claim that Kyoto is a case of institutional design failure, and one that has consequences far beyond just contributing to our collective knowledge based on what determines a regimes success or otherwise. The Kyoto Protocol saw some industrialized countries sign out of the agreement which meant they were not bound by it. Emissions therefore did not reduce as expected. To this day, both the Kyoto and the Montreal protocol are still relevant and functional.
REFERENCES
(399) The Hole - A film on the Montreal Protocol, narrated by Sir David Attenborough - YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgUobxtdm4A
(416) Kyoto Protocol | Kyoto protocol to UNFCCC | Science Land - YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW8zdP8gxJE
International Actions - The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer | US EPA. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/international-actions-montreal-protocol-substances-deplete-ozone-layer
Ki-moon, B. (n.d.). “Climate change is the defining challenge of our age.”
Montreal Protocol. (n.d.). www.unido.org
Montreal Protocol | Kigali Amendment | Multilateral Fund | Science Land - YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ANnVWLT8CY
Rugeley, C. R., & Gerlach, J. D. (2012a). Understanding Environ-mental Public Opinion by Dimension: How Heuristic Processing Mitigates High Information Costs on Complex Issues. Politics & Policy, 40(3), 444–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00080.x/abstract
Rugeley, C. R., & Gerlach, J. D. (2012b). Understanding Environ-mental Public Opinion by Dimension: How Heuristic Processing Mitigates High Information Costs on Complex Issues. Politics & Policy, 40(3), 444–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2007.00080.x/abstract
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