Search the site

Highlights for Monday, 4 November 2019 (L-R) Laura Juliana Arciniegas, OEWG 41 Co-Chair; René Castro-Salazar, Assistant Director-General, Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water Development; Megumi Seki, Deputy Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat The thirty-first Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP 31) opened its preparatory segment on Monday, 4 November 2019 at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy.In his opening remarks, Roberto Morassut, Italian Undersecretary of State, Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea, stated that the Montreal Protocol is an inspiration for a transition to a sustainable world. René Castro-Salazar, Assistant Director-General, Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water Development, FAO, added that pooling the abilities of environment and agriculture ministers can make strides towards fully eliminating food loss. Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, said parties need to collectively decide how to move the Protocol forward to address new challenges. The main topic of discussion was the agenda item on unexpected emissions of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11). The Assessment Panels presented their report on the issue, China presented on their efforts to address the issue, and parties deliberated on the way forward. Highlights of the discussion include: There has likely been a resumption of new CFC-11 production for closed cell foams; China has reinforced and stepped up its law enforcement to ensure it fulfils its obligations under the Protocol; Whether the contact group should be forward-looking and focus only on institutional matters and processes; and The goal is to ensure that the problem is fixed, with a view to assessing what short- or long-term actions are necessary. Delegates addressed a range of topics throughout the day. These included agenda items on: The terms of reference (ToR) for the study on the 2021–2023 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund (MLF); The potential areas of focus for the 2022 quadrennial assessment reports of the Assessment Panels; Ongoing reported emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CTC); and Nominations for critical-use exemptions (CUEs) for methyl bromide for 2020 and 2021. Two contact groups on the potential areas of focus for the 2022 quadrennial assessment reports and on CFC-11 were established, as well as the budget committee.Delegates arriving at MOP 31 faced an extremely full agenda. With the opening statements reminding them of the recent challenges facing the Protocol, many were heard remarking that introspection is required to assess what needs to be altered in light of changing circumstances and collectively agree on a way forward, especially if parties want to walk away at the end of the week saying “Veni, Vidi, Vici”—I came, I saw, I conquered.For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from MOP 31. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Roberto Morassut, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea, Italy Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat (L-R) Roberto Morassut, Italy; Alain Wilmart, Belgium; Laura Juliana Arciniegas, Colombia Laura Juliana Arciniegas, OEWG 41 Co-Chair Michel Tschirren, Switzerland Andrew Clark and John Thompson, United States Ole-Kristian Kvissel, Norway Jieqing Zhang, China The Unexpected emissions of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) panel Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Co-Chair, TEAP Task Force on Unexpected Emissions of CFC-11 Helen Tope, TEAP Co-Chair, Medical and Chemicals Technical Options Committee Samuel Paré, Burkina Faso Yaqoub Almatouq, Kuwait Paul Newman, SAP Experts confer during the session A view of plenary Participants from TEAP in discussion Ian Porter and Marta Pizano, TEAP/MBTOC Ozone Secretariat and OEWG 41 Co-Chairs in discussion Participants confer after the end of the first day Around the Venue Delegates greet each other before the start of the session Roberto Morassut, Italy, is welcomed on stage by the panel

Highlights for Tuesday, 5 November 2019 Participants from the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) Task Force on Energy Efficiency in discussion The thirty-first Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP 31) reconvened on Tuesday, 5 November 2019 at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy.In the morning, delegates heard reports from the contact groups and addressed: Stocks of methyl bromide; Development and availability of laboratory and analytical procedures that can be performed without using controlled substances under the Protocol; and Article 5 parties’ access to energy-efficient technologies in the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat-pump (RACHP) sectors. In the afternoon, discussion continued on energy-efficiency technologies, and delegates also addressed: Terms of reference, composition, balance, fields of expertise and workload of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP); Membership of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) Executive Committee (ExCom); Safety standards; Initial assessment by the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) and the TEAP of five volatile fluoroorganic and related compounds found in the Arctic; Consideration of nominations to the Assessment Panels; report of the Implementation Committee (ImpCom); and The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) risk of non-compliance with HCFC reduction targets for 2019. Contact groups on the 2022 quadrennial assessment, and CFC-11, as well as the Budget Committee met during the day. The agenda item on the request by Azerbaijan to be included among the parties to which the phase-down schedule for hydrofluorocarbons was opened and closed due to the fact that Azerbaijan is not present at MOP 31.As parties continued their deliberations, many could be heard in the corridors wondering how to balance the need to strengthen monitoring and compliance in the Protocol without creating additional reporting burdens for Article 5 countries. Some cautioned that resources will need to be found to be able to shoulder the additional requirements.For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from MOP 31. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Laura Juliana Arciniegas, OEWG 41 Co-Chair Megumi Seki, Deputy Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat The Ozone Secretariat and OEWG 41 Co-Chairs in discussion Alain Wilmart, OEWG 41 Co-Chair Shontelle Wellington, Barbados Ralph Brieskorn, Netherlands Besma Jebali, Tunisia Delegates confer on documents Philip Owen, EU Osvaldo Alvarez, Chile Amit Love, India Maryam Al-Dabbagh, Saudi Arabia Daniel Lopez Vicuna, Mexico Alhagie Sarr, The Gambia Omar Abdelaziz, TEAP Task Force on Energy Efficiency Bassam Elassaad, TEAP Task Force on Energy Efficiency Gabrielle Dreyfus, TEAP Task Force on Energy Efficiency Delegates from Chile analyze text during the discussions Liana Ghahramanyan, Armenia Delegates in discussion A delegate shares a laugh with a colleague Delegates from Sweden share a light moment during the plenary Delegates in discussion after the conclusion of plenary CFC-11 Contact Group Patrick McInerney, Australia Angela Patricia Rivera Galvis, Colombia Gilbert Bankobeza, Ozone Secretariat, chats to Shontelle Wellington, Barbados Philip Chemouny, Canada, in discussion with Ozone Secretariat Around the Venue Delegates greet each other at the start of the day's proceedings Delegates in discussion before the start of the session Delegates from Brunei Darussalam Anne-Maria Fenner, UN Environment

Highlights for Monday, 1 July 2019 John Thompson, US, and Philip Owen, EU, greeting Xia Yingxian and Zhang Jieqing, China at the morning plenary The forty-first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (OEWG 41) opened on Monday, 1 July 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand.In their opening addresses, Apichin Jotikasthira, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Thailand, urged all parties to ratify the Kigali Amendment as soon as possible. Dechen Tsering, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, called for ensuring energy efficiency improvements in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector are included in the Amendment’s implementation. Tina Birmpili, Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, said the CFC-11 case demonstrates the need for continued national vigilance and enforcement and for improving global monitoring.Following organizational matters, delegates addressed the issue of unexpected emissions of CFC-11 (Decision XXX/3). Key highlights include: presentations by the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) and the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) Task Force on CFC-11 of their preliminary reports on the issue; parties' discussion on the presentations and a general debate; and establishing a contact group to address two areas, namely technical and scientific issues, including information needs, as well as institutional matters under the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol. Parties also discussed the Terms of References (ToR) for the 2021–2023 Multilateral Fund (MLF) replenishment study, and the Quadrennial Assessment of the Montreal Protocol for 2018 and potential areas of focus for the 2022 Assessment. A contact group was established to discuss the replenishment study ToR.Side events on the India Cooling Action Plan, new insights into the source of increased CFC-11 emissions, and ‘National Cooling Plans: Linking cooling to energy efficiency interventions’ also took place.Delegates arrived at OEWG 41 ready to tackle a heavy agenda with many acknowledging that CFC-11 issues will likely dominate discussions. Some lauded the depth of discussion that had taken place but cautioned that “serious thought” needs to be given on how to improve monitoring, reporting, and verification, and tighten compliance. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, is providing daily web coverage from OEWG 41. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page OEWG 41 opening session taking place at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). OWEG 41 Co-Chair Laura-Juliana Arciniegas, Colombia Apichin Jotikasthira, Thailand Ozone Secretariat Executive Secretary Tina Birmpili Dechen Tsering, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Delegates listening to the speech by Dechen Tsering Annie Gabriel, Australia Nicole Folliet, Canada Paul Newman, Co-Chair, SAP, presenting the SAP interim report on increased emissions of CFC-11 Helen Tope, Co-Chair, TEAP Task Force on Unexpected Emissions of CFC-11 Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Co-Chair, TEAP Task Force on Unexpected Emissions of CFC-11 Philippe Chemouny and Martin Sirois, Canada Zhang Jieqing, China Augustin Sánchez Guevara, Mexico OEWG 41 Co-Chair Alain Wilmart, Belgium Tom Land, US, in a discussion with his colleagues Delegates from Azerbaijan consulting Yaqoub Al-Matouq, Kuwait Laura Berón, Argentina Samuel Paré, Burkina Faso Gilda Maria Torres Ferreira, Paraguay Samin Hoshmand, Afghanistan David Fahey, Co-Chair, SAP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) Co-Chair Janet Bornman, Australia EEAP Co-Chair Nigel Paul, UK Around the Venue

Highlights for Tuesday, 2 July 2019 Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Co-Chair, TEAP Task Force on Unexpected Emissions of CFC-11, in discussions with other TEAP members Delegates convened for the second day of the forty-first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (OEWG 41) on Tuesday, 2 July 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand.Plenary discussions addressed the Quadrennial Assessment of the Montreal Protocol for 2018, and potential areas of focus for the 2022 Assessment; as well as the Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) 2019 report.Highlights of the discussions include: the TEAP and its associated Technical Options Committees (TOCs), presenting its Quadrennial Assessment, stating that the Protocol’s sustained success hinges on parties’ continued vigilance to fulfil their commitments and prevent any future actions...nullifying the ozone and climate benefits achieved thus far; relationship between stratospheric ozone and proposed solar radiation management strategies; on-going reported emissions of carbon tetrachloride (CTC); submission of four nominations for critical-use exemptions for methyl bromide; nine specific lab and analytical procedures being recommended for removal from those uses included in the global essential-use exemption; and possible revisions needed in the list of ozone depleting substances used as process agents. Two side events were held during the lunch break: The Online Reporting Tool presented by the Ozone Secretariat, and ‘Opportunities to Finance Energy Efficiency alongside the HFC Phasedown – Organizer’ presented by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).Following the meetings of the contact groups on CFC-11 issues, and the Multilateral Fund Replenishment Study Terms of Reference, delegates noted that even by the end of day two “we have only started to scrape the surface of the work that needs to be done.” Many said that while the deliberations have largely been rote, and requests for more time predictable, “the more we can do now, means a smoother Meeting of the Parties in November.” IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) meeting coverage, is providing daily web coverage from OEWG 41. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis from the meeting, which is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page TEAP Co-Chair Fabio Polonara, giving a presentation View of the room during the morning session Ghazi Al Odat, Jordan Zia Ul Islam, Pakistan Hasan Mubarak, Bahrain, consulting with Yaqoub Al-Matouq, Kuwait Silvana Bunea and Claudia-Georgiana Dumitru, Romania Youssef Hammami, Tunisia Delegates listening to a presentation ENB team taking notes Cindy Newberg, US Henry Wohrnschimmel, Switzerland Nancy Akerman, US Angela Patricia Rivera Galvis, Colombia Ana María Kleymeyer, Federated States of Micronesia Co-Chair TEAP Bella Maranion Halons TOC Co-Chair Dan Verdonik Charles Kanu Ikeah, Nigeria Martin Sirois, Canada Ather Aljarboa, Saudi Arabia The dais during the afternoon session Martin Sirois, Philippe Chemouny, and Nicole Folliet, Canada, speaking informally with Philip Owen, EU Contact Group on CFC-11 View of the contact group Participants during the contact group Around the Venue