21 November 2008: The eighth Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the 20th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (COP 8/MOP 20) took place in Doha, Qatar, from 16-20 November 2008.

Parties adopted numerous decisions related to climate change, including on the destruction of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and on the funding of the accelerated phase-out under the Montreal Protocol of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), a category of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer and contribute to climate change. The parties’ decision on the replenishment of the Multilateral Fund for
the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol for the triennium 2009-2011, agreeing to replenish the fund with US$490 million, resolved a debate about the resources necessary to support the acceleration of the phase-out of HCFCs, agreed to in 2007. On the destruction of ODS in stockpiles and discarded products such as refrigerators, delegates agreed to request: the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund to commence pilot projects; the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel to undertake a cost-benefit analysis taking into consideration both climate and ozone benefits; and the Secretariat to consult with experts from the UNFCCC, the GEF, the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism and the World Bank to develop a report on possible funding opportunities for the management and destruction of ODS banks.

Also under discussion is the possibility of phasing-out hydrofluorocarbons, which are potent greenhouse gases as well as ozone depletors, under the Montreal Protocol. In a related development, the US, the Netherlands and Australia announced in Doha their militaries’ assistance in the collection and storage of banks of ODS in a partnership. Successfully disposing of stockpiles and banks of ODS could have significant benefits for the climate and for ozone. [IISD RS coverage of COP-8/MOP-20] [UN Press Release] [UNEP Press Release]