Progress Toward a Healthy Sky: An Assessment of the London Amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

Early in the summer of 1990, representatives of ninety-three nations met in London and agreed to amend significantly the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol). The resulting agreement, commonly known as the London Amendments, was the product of several international meetings, and came amidst rising concern over continued thinning of upper atmospheric ozone as a result of the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, and other chemical compounds. While imperfect, the agreement represents a heartening step forward in the world community's effort to protect our biosphere from the dangers of increased solar ultraviolet radiation.