This publication is intended to give a snapshot of the work carried out by UNDP to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and features some prominent examples of UNDP support at the country level from 2001 till July 2012. The human development impacts are many and UNDP has been honored by the request for assistance from 118 countries who entrusted UNDP with the implementation of the Montreal Protocol programme in their countries, in many cases, in partnership with other multilateral and bilateral agencies.

16 September 2012 marked the 25th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Montreal Protocol is hailed as the most successful environmental agreement. The implementation of the Montreal Protocol resulted in enormous sustainable human development benefits. The analysis of positive synergies—winning strategies for the environment, equity and human development (UNDP Human Development Report, 2011) revealed that the Montreal Protocol is an excellent example of win-win-win strategies of integrating environmental and equity concerns while promoting human development.

By October 2012, UNDP has assisted partner developing countries to access a total of US $630 million in funding from the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol and US$ 33.5 million from the Global Environment Facility to eliminate ozone depleting chemicals. UNDP support has assisted 118 countries to avoid over 4 gigatonnes of CO2-eq emissions on a cumulative basis and to eliminate more than 68,500 tonnes of ozone-depleting substances.