India Reaffirms Commitment to Montreal Protocol at OEWG48 in Bangkok

India highlights commitment to Montreal protocol at OEWG48

Bangkok, July 16

"India is actively participating in the 48th meeting of the Open‑Ended Working Group (OEWG48) of Parties to the Montreal Protocol, being held from 13-17 July 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. Jagpreet Kaur, First Secretary, Indian Embassy in Thailand, made interventions under various agenda items of the OEWG48, highlighting India's continued commitment to implementing the Montreal Protocol and the challenges faced by Article 5 countries as Parties enter the critical phases of the Kigali Amendment," the Embassy of India in Thailand wrote on X.

"The need for a holistic approach that goes beyond mere compliance and fosters long‑term strategies for sustaining the phase‑out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and phase‑down of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) was also emphasised," it added.

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man‑made chemicals referred to as Ozone‑Depleting Substances (ODS).

Adopted on 16 September 1987, the Protocol is, to date, one of the few treaties to achieve universal ratification.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the different ODS in a step‑wise manner, with different timetables for developed and developing countries (referred to as "Article 5 countries").

Under this treaty, all parties have specific responsibilities related to the phase‑out of different groups of ODS, control of ODS trade, annual data reporting, national licensing systems to control ODS imports and exports, and other matters.

Developing and developed countries have equal but differentiated responsibilities, but most importantly, both groups of countries have binding, time‑targeted and measurable commitments.

— IANS