Atmospheric monitoring of emission sources of ozone-depleting substances and F-gases

Expected impacts:

Enabling scientific entities that are capable of measuring atmospheric concentrations of substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol, to provide data for further assessments carried by relevant international bodies on their impact on the climate and the stratospheric ozone layer.

Expected outcomes:

• Sustaining and strengthening existing global networks, by closing identified monitoring gaps, using mechanisms established under the Vienna Convention General Trust Fund.
• To identify sites for the monitoring of potential emission sources of controlled substances and provide support to a limited number of monitoring sites to become operational after positive assessment.

Scope:

Whereas the Montreal Protocol has been successful in reducing the release of ozone depleting substances, unexpected increases in emissions, for instance linked to uses in chemical processes, have been recorded through atmospheric sampling. Parties to the Montreal Protocol have asked the scientific community to identify gaps in global coverage of atmospheric monitoring of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol and to provide options on ways to enhance such monitoring.

Their decision[[ cop-13_mop-36_decisions.pdf]] tasks the Multilateral Fund of the Protocol (MLF) to develop a funding modality enhancing atmospheric monitoring, guided by the scientific advice of the Advisory Committee of the General Trust Fund for Financing Activities on Research and Systematic Observations Relevant to the Vienna Convention (VCGTF).

The action should support the international efforts on the identification and characterisation of sources of emissions of controlled substances and their local abundance, providing data for subsequent optimisation of measurements of the ozone-depleting substances and F-gases, which may include satellite-based measurements. The latter is challenging due to the very low concentrations of the relevant substances in the atmosphere (parts per billion to parts per trillion).

A grant to UNEP, managing the VCGTF, should strengthen the global monitoring network by providing support for the establishment of additional monitoring capacities at locations that need to be identified. The identification of suitable locations for measurements requires complex modelling of atmospheric circulation patterns and subsequent measurements at potential sites. The envisaged financial support through the MLF would ensure a long-term operation of additional monitoring capacities, enabled by this grant.

The action will identify potential emission sources and pathways, which are not yet fully understood, including how they are released and how they can be best monitored via atmospheric sampling.

The action will support, in at least 3 different locations, in-situ measurements for at least 2 consecutive years. The locations should cover different regions at a global scale that are identified as representing a gap in atmospheric monitoring. The action should also provide support for calibrating new and existing monitoring capacities, to reinforce international networks.

The action should build on the scientific findings presented in this context to the Parties of the Montreal Protocol, including through the “Report of Scientific Assessment Panel to the 11th Meeting of the Ozone Research managers – White Paper - Identification of gaps in the global coverage of atmospheric monitoring of controlled substances and options to enhance such monitoring (2021)” and outcomes of the “Workshop on Costs of atmospheric Monitoring of Gases Controlled under the Montreal Protocol (February 2024)”, and the EU-funded project operated by the UNEP Ozone Secretariat on ‘Regional quantification of emissions of substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol’.

Specific Conditions:

The evaluation committee will be composed fully by representatives of EU institutions.

The beneficiary may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants (including direct grants where justified). The maximum amount of financial support to third parties is EUR 60,000. However, the amount may be higher if achieving the objectives of the action would otherwise be impossible or overly difficult; or, in the case of a direct grant to World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), if the support is duly justified and documented.