[Opinion] A Great Step in Montreal for a Blue Planet

The key themes that have permeated the international community this year can be said to be COVID-19 and climate change. Many readers will remember the photo of the ozone hole over Antarctica in the 1980s that shocked the world. The prediction that humanity would suffer from a UV disaster if the ozone layer were destroyed, as shown in that photo, sounded a strong alarm to the international community. However, the disaster did not occur, ozone layer depletion stopped, and a significant portion of the damaged ozone layer is expected to recover by the middle of this century. This is because the Montreal Protocol system for ozone layer protection has worked effectively.

The Montreal Protocol is a treaty supplementing the 1985 Vienna Convention, the basic agreement for ozone layer protection. It includes specific measures such as trade restrictions on ozone-depleting substances and the establishment of a multilateral fund. Adopted in 1987, it unusually came into effect quickly as a multilateral treaty on January 1, 1989. The Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund, started in 1991, has raised over 4 billion dollars to date and supported more than 9,000 projects to phase out ozone-depleting substances, achieving great success. The prevention effect of UV-related diseases such as skin cancer alone is estimated to exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2060, making the Montreal Protocol a successful environmental regime. Furthermore, since most ozone-depleting substances are also climate change-inducing substances, it has significantly contributed to climate change response as well.

Alongside this, the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, with its secretariat located in Montreal. The biodiversity convention system has been operated through the ‘Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020’ and detailed goals, known as the ‘Aichi Biodiversity Targets,’ adopted at the 10th Conference of the Parties in 2010. In October 2021, the first part of the 15th Conference of the Parties adopted the Kunming Declaration, confirming political will with participation from ministerial-level high officials from various countries. The second part of the conference, expected to be held in April or May next year, is anticipated to finalize concrete strategies and action plans.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) primarily sets safety standards for international civil aviation but has recently been addressing environmental issues as well. Greenhouse gas emissions from international flights account for about 1.3% of global greenhouse gases, and since reductions are being pursued through ICAO, its role in regulating global greenhouse gases cannot be ignored. ICAO encourages reducing greenhouse gas emissions themselves through measures such as the use of sustainable aviation fuels, and has created a unique system called the ‘Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA),’ which requires airlines that emit greenhouse gases beyond the standard to offset the excess in the carbon market. ICAO began pilot implementation of CORSIA in 2021, and as of December 6, 2021, 107 countries including South Korea have declared participation.

This year, South Korea has taken the lead in international efforts to address climate change by announcing an enhanced 2030 national greenhouse gas reduction target at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) and hosting the P4G Seoul Summit. As part of these efforts, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Montreal held a webinar on November 24 with officials and experts from Korea, Quebec, the City of Montreal, and three international organizations to share efforts, achievements, and future policies regarding climate change response and biodiversity protection. Building on these achievements, expectations are growing for significant steps toward a blue planet to be sparked again in Montreal next year.

Sangdo Kim, Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Consul General in Montreal