Highlights and images for 1 November 2024

As many expected, the final day of the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP13) to the Vienna Convention and the 36th Meeting of the Parties (MOP36) to the Montreal Protocol was a long one. 

In the morning, the high-level segment concluded hearing statements from parties and observers. Contact groups and the Budget Committee continued to meet throughout the day to reach agreement on all remaining draft decisions.  

The closing plenary, which was originally scheduled for 4:30 pm, was postponed several times to allow the Budget Committee and the final contact groups—on atmospheric monitoring and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-23 emissions—to finish their work. After difficult negotiations, both contact groups reached consensus by 6:30 pm.  

The preparatory segment resumed at 7:15 pm and heard reports on the nominations of Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Implementation Committee and the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund. Shontelle Wellington (Barbados) and Annie Gabriel (Australia) were nominated as the Co-Chairs of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG).  

Closing of the Preparatory Segment 

The preparatory segment then heard reports from the contact groups and agreed to forward the draft decisions to the high-level segment, including:  

• HFC-23 emissions;  
• Potential changes to data reporting forms for reporting on HFC-23;  
• Life-cycle refrigerant management;  
• Very short-lived substances; 
• Feedstock uses of controlled substances;  
• Enhancing the global and regional atmospheric monitoring of substances controlled by the Montreal Protocol;  
• Report of the 12th meeting of the Ozone Research Managers of the parties to the Vienna Convention;  
• Status of the General Trust Fund for Financing Activities on Research and Systematic Observations Relevant to the Vienna Convention;  
• Climate-friendly alternatives for metered-dose inhalers;  
• Future availability of halons and their alternatives;  
• Further strengthening Montreal Protocol institutions: next steps; 
• Possible compliance deferral for Article 5, group 2 parties;  
• Unwanted imports of energy-inefficient products and equipment; and 
• Changes in the membership of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP)

The Budget Committee reported on the financial reports and budgets of the trust funds for the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, having just completed their work. Their report was forwarded to the high-level segment for adoption.  

The contact group on strengthening the enabling environment to enhance energy efficiency in the cooling sector did not conclude its work. Grenada and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) withdrew their proposal, while expressing their commitment to continue working on this issue and revisit this in the future. Grenada, FSM, Cook Islands, Palau, and Mauritius extended appreciation to all parties for their dedication to these discussions and expressed regret that this proposal by small island developing states was unable to be concluded. They requested that this item be included on the agenda of the next OEWG meeting. 

The informal groups on compliance and data reporting issues, and isomers of HFCs not explicitly listed in Annex F of the Montreal Protocol, reported on their discussions. Egypt, supported by Bahrain and Senegal, expressed regret that there was no time to discuss their proposal on changing the cut-off date indicated in paragraph 17 of decision XXVIII/2 (HFC phaseout).  

OEWG Co-Chairs Ralph Brieskorn (the Netherlands) and Miruza Mohamed (Maldives) thanked everyone for their hard work and flexibility and closed the preparatory segment at 8:36 pm. 

Closing of the High-level Segment 

COP13 President Yaqoub Almatouq (Kuwait) and MOP36 President Kerryne James (Grenada) opened the closing plenary at 8:40 pm. Delegates adopted the decisions before them, and the report of the meeting. 

The COP agreed that MOP37 would be held in Nairobi from 3-7 November 2025, unless other arrangements are made by the Secretariat in consultation with the Bureau. Kazakhstan announced that they are hoping to host MOP37 and the Secretariat would update the parties in due time. OEWG47 will take place from 7-11 July 2025 in Bangkok. 

After delivering short closing statements, the Presidents gaveled COP13 and MOP36 to a close at 9:43 pm.