How did the Montreal Protocol come about?
The Montreal Protocol was the first global treaty to protect the atmosphere from human impacts, and a milestone in an ongoing international negotiation process. As early as 1977, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) saw ozone depletion as a serious issue and established the Coordinating Committee on the Ozone Layer. A World Plan of Action on the Ozone Layer was then adopted by UNEP s Governing Council. At the same time, the Scandinavian countries, the United States and Canada took initial steps to ban CFCs as aerosol propellants in non-essential uses.
