Montreal Protocol VS Kyoto Protocol

It is sometimes said that the Montreal Protocol did more to slow climate change than the Kyoto Protocol - how is that possible?

• About 40 years ago, it was discovered that there were pollutants in the air called chlorofluorocarbons that are slowly but surely eating away at our ozone layer. The ozone layer that is being affected is what protects the Earth from harmful radiation, and if it does not stop disappearing, everyone would be severely affected by illnesses and skin diseases. In 1990 the Montreal Protocol was announced, which was enforced by many nations and allowed countries to stop using CFC's. This completely prevented us from losing our ozone layer. The building up to the Montreal Protocol first began in 1974. Two scientists, Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina, discovered that CFC's have the ability when sprayed to be carried up miles into the atmosphere. When there and mixed with the sun's UV rays, there was a chemical reaction that caused the depletion of the ozone layer. As this layer began to weaken, more UV rays were able to reach the Earth's surface. Although most of the companies that used or sold CFC's stopped using them, companies that completely depended on it decided to take more risks. These would be the companies that produced air conditioners or refrigerators. These companies began to rise again, and by the mid-1980s, the CFC level was peaking again. This caused a strong danger to our ozone level once again. A curve ball hit the scientists again when a large hole in the ozone was discovered above Antarctica. This added more urgency to the already pressing situation. The plan was to phase out CFC's with a ten year plan, being the Montreal Protocol. In 1990, after the Protocol was passed, they refined the agreement to a three part plan. This reflected what they wanted, but differentiated the responsibilities. Another protocol, the Kyoto Protocol was another plan to slow down and hopefully stop global warming. The Kyoto Protocol was developed after Montreal, and only included a control over greenhouse gases. The Montreal Protocol covers greenhouse gas emissions as well as other substances that negatively affect the atmosphere. This is mainly why it seems as though the Montreal Protocol was more effective in slowing the climate than the Kyoto Protocol. CFC's were proven to be very influential on our planet's atmosphere and had a huge impact. Once these chemicals were removed, our climate change crisis was sufficiently slowed.

This Figure shows the two possible futures that we could have had, whether or not the Montreal Protocol was founded. This focuses on the Chlorine concentration, which is not restricted under the Kyoto Protocol.

Source: here