Protecting the Ozone Layer, 35th Anniversary – Book

16 September 2022— In celebration of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the United Nations Environment Program Ozone Secretariat announced the release of a new book celebrating the 35^th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. The book highlights the Montreal Protocol’s successes and innovation during its first 35 years and inspires new ambition to strengthen the protection of stratospheric ozone as well as the climate before Earth passes dangerous tipping points that could cause irreversible and abrupt climate change.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which celebrates its 35^th anniversary this year, can rightfully claim to be one of the most successful international treaties ever struck. The treaty fulfilled its original objective by putting the stratospheric ozone layer on the road to recovery, but its effects have not stopped there: it has also done more than any other measure to date to combat climate change.

The Montreal Protocol has achieved all this through a united, indeed unanimous, world community. The Montreal Protocol is the first and only treaty ever to have been ratified by every nation on Earth.

The 35^th-anniversary book by Dr. Stephen O Andersen, IGSD Director of Research and Former Co-Chair of the Technology and Economics Assessment Panel (1989–2012), and Marco Gonzalez, Former Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat (2002–2013), edited by Sally Rand, Former TEAP member and Foam Technical Options Committee Co-Chair (1993–1998), was written by an additional 56 co-authors and two dozen additional collaborators from 23 Parties, including 10 from Article 5 Parties.

Over 20 Chapters and 7 Appendixes, it tells the story of inspired treaty design based on new principles of precaution, start and strengthen, common but differentiated responsibility, finance of agreed incremental costs, and binding control measures backed up with trade measures.

The book will be released at a Side Event at the 34^th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Montreal, Canada, on 31 October 2022.

See Previous Anniversary Books:

• 20^th Anniversary: Stephen O. Andersen, K. Madhava Sarma, & Kristen N. Taddonio (2007), Technology Transfer for the Ozone Layer: Lessons for Climate Change, Earthscan Press, London. (Official publication of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme).
• 20^th Anniversary: Donald Kaniaru (2007), The Montreal Protocol: Celebrating 20 Years of Environmental Progress - Ozone Layer and Climate Protection, Cameron May, London.
• 15^th Anniversary: Stephen O. Andersen and K. Madhava Sarma (2002), Protecting the Ozone Layer: The United Nations History. Earthscan Press, London. (Official publication of the United Nations Environment Programme).