The Montreal Protocol first went into effect in the 1980s as part of a consolidated, international effort to reduce and eventually phase out the production of substances contributing to ozone depletion. These protocols were instrumental in helping us to restore the integrity of the ozone layer. In that sense, this initiative has been an optimistic reminder of what we can accomplish when we band together to protect our planet.
In response to these protocols, the EU Ozone Regulation went into effect in the UK and elsewhere across the continent. Regulations to phase out harmful refrigerants like CFCs were periodically stepped up in the following ways: