Rio+20 UNIDO Side Event: Mitigating Climate Change through the Montreal Protocol

The objective of this side event is to provide an opportunity, for policymakers, private sector and civil society representatives from developing and industrialized countries to discuss the implementation of Montreal Protocol projects and its impact on climate change. Besides depleting the ozone layer, most ozone depleting substances (ODS) can have both direct and indirect adverse consequences on the climate.

For that reason, activities conducted under the Montreal Protocol have not only contributed to reversing the damage done to the ozone layer but have also resulted in the mitigation of greenhouse gases equal to several million tons of CO2-equivalent. However, countries face new climate-related challenges as they proceed with the phasing out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs); available alternatives include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are not ODS, but most of them are potent greenhouse gases covered by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and are also included in the basket of gases subject to emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

June 19, from 11:30 to 13:00 hours.