Multilateral Environment Agreements

Multilateral Environment Agreements are those agreements that that are legally binding or three or more member nations. They aim at achieving a set environment goal. A few famous multilateral environment agreements include the Montreal Protocol, the Stockholm Convention and the Minamata Treaty. These agreements deal with different facets of environment protection.

Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer or the Montreal Protocol was an agreement signed in 1987. The Montreal Protocol tackled with the main causes of ozone depletion by regulating the substances that caused ozone depletion. The most common of these pollutants or substances with ODP (Ozone Depleting Potential) is Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). Around 197 countries have ratified the Montreal protocol and has it has been widely recognised as one of the most successful environmental protection legislations that was drafted in the international forum. It is also the first international environment treaty to be ratified by all member nations, i.e., it was completely ratified.  HCFCs and CFCs have been widely used in cooling devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners etc. The Montreal protocol aims at reducing the ozone depletion. The first step that it took was phasing about of the substances with ODP. These substances have greenhouse effects and therefore phasing out their use has helped with the climate change measures that the UN adopted. The Montreal protocol has set out a timetable that lists out different substances that can cause ozone depletion and the time by which it is aimed to be completely phased out. What is distinct about this timetable that it takes into consideration the different stages of each country and has therefore set different times for both developed and developing countries.

Stockholm Convention on POPs

The Stockholm Convention on POPS is a convention that was signed by over 90 countries and ratified by Canada on its introduction. It was a convention to deal with the issue of Persistent Organic Pollutants. The main objective of the convention is to eliminate or severely restrict the production and use of a number of POP pesticides and industrial chemicals, to take strong measures to prevent or control the release of certain POPs that are formed as by-products of various combustion activities, and to ensure the safe and proper disposal or destruction of such sub- stances when they become wastes. The major guidelines were released in 2006 for best environmental practices in the areas of  source reduction, segregation, resource recovery and recycling, training, and proper collection and transport of these chemical wastes.

Minamata Convention on Mercury

Minamata Convention on Mercury was drafted after the outbreak of the deadly Minamata disease which was due to the release of methylmercury by a chemical plant into the ocean. Methylmercury is known to be a potent neurotoxin that bio-accumulates into highly toxic doses in the food chain and causes brain damage and birth defects.  Nearly 50 years later, a convention was put forth by the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program which was signed by 128 countries and ratified by 25 countries. The convention recognises that mercury is a bio hazard which can cause serious environmental concerns if accumulate over a period of time. The Minamata Convention derives inspiration from The Basel Convention on Hazardous Waste.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

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We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.

We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge