Production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances in Europe

Assessment versions

Published (reviewed and quality assured)

• No published assessments

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

The release of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) to the atmosphere leads to the depletion of the Earth's ozone layer, which is manifested most prominently in the occurrence of the annual ozone hole over the Antarctic. The stratospheric ozone layer protects humans and the environment from the harmful ultra-violet radiation emitted by the sun. Ozone is destroyed by chlorine and bromine atoms that are released to the stratosphere from anthropogenic chemicals — including CFCs, halons, 1,1,1 TCA, CTC, HBFCs, BCM, n-propyl bromide and HCFCs — as well as methyl chloride (MC) and MB. The depletion of stratospheric ozone leads to increases in ambient UV radiation at the Earth's surface, which has a wide variety of adverse effects on human health, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and food chains. This indicator tracks the annual maximum Antarctic ozone hole area to determine the state of the ozone layer and its recovery since the late 1970s.

Since the mid-1980s, various policy measures have been introduced to limit or phase out the production and consumption of ODSs to protect the stratospheric ozone layer against depletion. This indicator tracks progress towards the objectives of limiting or phasing out the consumption of ODS in the EEA-33. It also highlights the remaining uses of ODS, ranks their harmfulness to the ozone layer and tracks related trends since 2011.

Scientific references

• UNEP Synthesis report of the 2006 assessments of the Scientific Assessment Panel, the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel and the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel
• WMO GAW Research on Stratospheric Ozone
• European Commission (DG Climate Action): Protection of the ozone layer
• Oram, D. E. et al. (2017). A growing threat to the ozone layer from short-lived anthropogenic chlorocarbons
• Hossaini, R. et al. (2017). The increasing threat to stratospheric ozone from dichloromethane
• Montzka, S. A. (2018) An unexpected and persistent increase in global emissions of ozone-depleting CFC-11
• Solomon, S. et al. (2016) Emergence of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer
• UNEP Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018
• UNEP Environmental Effects and Interactions of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion, UV Radiation, and Climate Change: 2018 Assessment Report
• UNEP Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018 (Executive Summary)
• UNEP 2018 Report of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP)
• Rigby, M. et al. (2019). Increase in CFC-11 emissions from eastern China based on atmospheric observations

Indicator definition

Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are long-lived chemicals that contain chlorine and/or bromine and can deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. This indicator quantifies the current state of the ozone layer, the progress being made towards meeting the EU’s Montreal Protocol commitments and trends in the remaining uses of ODS within the EU.

Context: the ozone layer refers to a region of the Earth’s atmosphere (the stratosphere) in which ozone (O₃
) is present in concentrations high enough to absorb most of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This natural phenomenon is essential for life on Earth because UV radiation damages living tissue. Ozone depletion refers to the steady decline in the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere and the decrease in stratospheric ozone in the polar regions during the spring season. This has become widely known as the 'ozone hole'. This phenomenon was first observed during the 1970s, when it was shown that the ozone hole was caused by complex chemical reactions in the atmosphere involving so-called ODS, which are almost exclusively a result of human industrial activity.

Units

Depending on the metric involved, this indicator uses the annual maximum Antarctic ozone hole area in square kilometres (km²) and ODS consumption weighted by the ODP of the substances in ODP tonnes.

Policy context and targets

Context description

The 1987 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Montreal Protocol is widely recognised as one of the most successful multilateral environmental agreements to date. Its implementation has led to a global decrease in the impact of ODS on the atmosphere. The agreement covers the phase-out of over 200 individual ODS including CFCs, halons, CTC, TCA, HCFCs, HBFCs, BCM and MB. The Montreal Protocol controls the consumption and production of these substances, not their emissions.

Following the signing of the Montreal Protocol and its subsequent amendments and adjustments, policy measures have been taken to limit or phase out the production and consumption of ODS to protect the stratospheric ozone layer against depletion. This indicator tracks the progress of EU Member States towards this limiting or phasing out ODS consumption.

For the EU, the ratification dates were the following:

EEA member countries have made tremendous progress in reducing the consumption and production of ODS since the signing of the Montreal Protocol. In that time, ODS production has fallen from over half a million ODP tonnes to practically zero, not including production for exempted uses. Since 2009, EEA member countries have also been subject to the more stringent EU ODS Regulation (1005/2009/EC as amended by 744/2010/EU), which applies to additional substances and accelerates the phase-out of remaining ODS in the EU.

Targets

The international target under the ozone conventions and protocols is the complete phase-out of ODS, according to the schedule below.

Countries falling under Article 5, paragraph 1, of the Montreal Protocol are considered developing countries under the protocol. Phase-out schedules for Article 5(1) countries are delayed by 10-20 years compared with non-Article 5(1) countries.

A summary of the phase-out schedule for non-Article 5(1) countries, including Beijing adjustments, is shown in the table below.

Related policy documents

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 744/2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, with regard to the critical uses of halons
  Commission Regulation (EU) No 744/2010 of 18 August 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer, with regard to the critical uses of halons
• Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer
  Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer (Text with EEA relevance) 
• Regulation (EC) No 2038/2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, as regards metered dose inhalers and medical drug pumps
  Regulation (EC) No 2038/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, as regards metered dose inhalers and medical drug pumps 
• Regulation (EC) No 2039/2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, as regards the base year for the allocation of quotas of hydrochlorofluorocarbons
  Regulation (EC) No 2039/2000 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, as regards the base year for the allocation of quotas of hydrochlorofluorocarbons
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
  The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer: The  Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Maximum ozone hole area

This indicator presents the maximum ozone hole area in km². The ozone hole area is determined from total ozone satellite measurements. It is defined as the region of ozone with values of below 220 DU located south of 40 °S. The maximum ozone hole area is provided in km² by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS - https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/).

Consumption of ozone-depleting substances 

The indicator presents ODS consumption in units of tonnes of ODS, which is the amount of ODS consumed, multiplied by their respective ODP value. UNEP Ozone Secretariat data are already provided in ODP tonnes. All data can be downloaded from https://ozone.unep.org/countries/data-table.

Formulae for calculating consumption are defined by Articles 1 and 3 of the Montreal Protocol and can be accessed here: https://ozone.unep.org/.

Simply put, consumption is defined as production plus imports minus exports. Amounts destroyed or used as feedstock are subtracted from production. Amounts of MB used for quarantine and pre-shipment applications are excluded. Exports to non-parties are included, but are not allowed.

Parties report each of the above components annually to the Ozone Secretariat in official data reporting forms. The parties do not, however, make the above subtractions and other calculations themselves. The Ozone Secretariat performs this task itself.

Remaining uses of ozone-depleting substances in EU Member States

This indicator presents reported sales of ODS on the European market and reported production in ODP tonnes (see above). These data are reported annually to the EEA by companies under the EU ODS Regulation (1005/2009/EC) and treated as confidential. Data represented here were reported by at least three company groups that each contributed at least 5 % of the total reported amount.

Methodology for gap filling

No gap filling takes place.

Methodology references

• Handbook for the International Treaties for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (Thirteenth edition, 2019) UNEP, 2019 ( September 2019  specific URL: https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/montreal-protocol  -> https://ozone.unep.org/sites/default/files/2019-08/MP_Handbook_2019_1.pdf )
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer  as either adjusted and/or amended in London 1990, Copenhagen 1992, Vienna 1995, Montreal 1997, Beijing 1999. UNEP Ozone Secretariat United Nations Environment Programme (September 2019 specific URL:  https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/montreal-protocol  -> Text of the Montreal Protocol as adjusted in 2018 – subject to entry into force on 21 June 2019 -> https://ozone.unep.org/sites/default/files/2019-04/MP-consolidated-English-2019.pdf )

Data specifications

EEA data references

• No datasets have been specified here.

External data references

• Consumption of controlled ozone-depleting substances (ODS)
• Ozone-depleting substances 2019
• Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service

Data sources in latest figures

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

Policies focus on the production and consumption of ODS rather than emissions, which are what actually harm the ozone layer. The reason is that emissions from multiple small sources are much more difficult to monitor accurately than industrial production and consumption. Consumption is the driver of industrial production. Production and consumption can precede emissions by many years, as emissions typically take place after the disposal of products in which ODS are used (fire extinguishers, refrigerators, etc.). The same is true for sales of ODS for certain uses and their actual use.

Data sets uncertainty

Data provided by the Ozone Secretariat and the EEA ozone database (ODB) are based on reporting from companies that produce, import, export, use or destroy ODS. A number of rigorous quality checks ensure a high degree of completeness and correctness. The quality of the data ultimately remains the responsibility of each reporting company.

Omissions and double-counting are theoretically possible because of the nature of the reporting obligation under the EU ODS Regulation. It is estimated that such uncertainties affect a negligible part of the data.

Rationale uncertainty

Policies focus on the production and consumption of ODS rather than emissions. The reason is that emissions from multiple small sources are much more difficult to monitor accurately than industrial production and consumption. Consumption is the driver of industrial production. Production and consumption can precede emissions by many years, as emissions typically take place after the disposal of products in which ODS are used (fire extinguishers, refrigerators, etc.).