Environmental Regulations

Protocols on Ozone depletion

There are many inernational treaties designed to help the environment.

The Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol is designed to stop the destruction of the ozone layer by banning the use and production of ozone depleting chemicals (ODC's). The first ban on CFC's was in the late 1970's when America, Canada and Scandanavia banned the use of CFC's in aerosols. In 1985 the Vienna Convention established international co-operation in research into the destruciton of the ozone layer. In 1987 the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer was signed. The original document aimed to decrease the production and uses of ODC's by 50% by 1999. Failure to comply to the restrictions would be accompanied by strict penalties. As replacing CFC's and other banned substances is expensive, developing countries were given an extended period to comply as long as the levels did not increase. To help developing countries develop and replace the ODC's an international fund was set up. The science that was the basis of the Montreal Protocol resulted in the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995. The original protocol has had several amendments as detailed below:-

The Montreal Protocol has been adjusted further in Vienna (1995), Montreal (1997) and Beijing (1999). In Beijing the production of HCFC's was to be frozen (ie stable) by 2003.

Protocols on Global Warming

Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992)

At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 162 countries signed the FCCC for precautionary action against global climate change caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect. The ultimate objective was to

"achieve stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner."

The FCCC was based on several principals including:-

1. The global climate should be protected for present and future generations.
2. Developed countries should play a leading role as they produce the most greenhouse gases.
3. The needs and special circumstances of developing countries should be given consideration especially those who are the most vunerable to climate change.

By signing the agreement the countries must report national greenhouse gas emissions; develop greenhouse gas emissions reduction programmes; protect possible sinks eg forests. The emissions of greenhouse gases should be stabilised at the 1990 levels by 2000, especially carbon dioxide. This was the first international agreement about the effects of greenhoue gases. This was extended by the Kyoto Protocol.

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

160 countries leglly committed themselves to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Japan in 1997. The six gases focused on are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and replacements to HCFC's. The countries agreed to reduce their collective emissions by 5.2% from the 1999 levels by 2008-2012. Different areas are to cut their emissions by different amounts depending on their current emissions.

Protocols on Acid Rain

Protocol on the Reduction of Sulfur Emissions (1985)

This protocol was signed by most memebers of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) committing themselves to a reduction in sulfur dioxid emissions by 30% from the 1980 levels by 1993. All the countries that signed the protocol and many who didn't acheived this target.

The Second Protocol on the Reduction of Sulfur Emissions (1994)

Most of western Europe agreed to cut sulfur emissions by between 70-80% by the year 2000 (frm 1980 levels) while most eastern Euopean countries had a lower target of 40-50%. Further falls in sulfur dioxid emissions are expected this decade.

Sofia Protocol (1988)

This protocol required countries to stabilise their emissions of nitrogen oxide at the 1987 level although some countries committed to 30% reductions by 1998. However, with increasing traffic not all countries reached their target.
Other EU directives on industry have been implemented reducing emissions from power stations and factories.