EIA briefings for the 45th Open Ended Working Group to the Montreal Protocol

Crime and Crime Again

The long-standing illegal trade in substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

As Parties to the Montreal Protocol meet in Bangkok for the 45th Open Ended Working Group, they will also attend a workshop on strengthening the effective implementation and enforcement of the Montreal Protocol.

EIA has produced this briefing describing the long history of the illegal trade of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol, including CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs.

It examines efforts by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol to combat such trade, with consideration of potential next steps to meet the continued and growing challenge of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and HFC climate crime. EIA has been investigating and documenting the illegal trade in ODS since the mid-1990s, providing unprecedented insights into the dynamics of this multi-million dollar environmental crime, including the shifting smuggling routes and methods used to evade detection.

Investing in the Montreal Protocol

(2nd download)

The Montreal Protocol has already made a significant contribution to mitigating climate change through the phase-out of ODS and promises more with the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFCs. However, several challenges exist which, if faced with adequate political will and financial investment, can be resolved in a way that will enable the Montreal Protocol to achieve much more.

This briefing outlines the analysis and recommendations of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) on the agenda items to be discussed at OEWG45 including replenishment of the Multilateral Fund, strengthening Montreal Protocol institutions, illegal dumping of cooling equipment, gaps in atmospheric monitoring, industrial and unexplained emissions, and the potential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on hydrofluorocarbon consumption.