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Mack McFarland, DuPont chief atmospheric scientist, was among a team of leading scientists that recently received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Level II Scientific and Technological Achievement Award for their paper, "The Importance of the Montreal Protocol in Protecting Climate,” which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. 

In the paper, the research team synthesized stratospheric ozone and climate science to show that past actions under the Montreal Protocol had dramatically protected climate by leading to reduced atmospheric amounts of ozone-depleting substances, compounds which also are greenhouse gases that warm climate.  In addition, the team outlined what actions could further protect climate.

In 2007, the findings inspired the “Parties to the Protocol” to accelerate the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and in 2008, encouraged the collection and destruction of unwanted ozone-depleting substances.  This year, a phase-down of the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are greenhouse gas alternatives to ozone-depleting substances is being considered.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award, along with my co-authors,” Mack said.  “The science policy presented in our paper clearly shows that as a result of the Montreal Protocol, international cooperation among all stakeholders, with flexible regulations that stimulate innovation, can lead to rapid progress toward protection of the global environment.”

Originally signed in 1987, the Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out a number of ozone-depleting substances.