THE VIENNA CONVENTION for the Protection of the Ozone Layer came into being in March 1985. The convention was developed initially out of recognition of the international concern over the loss of the ozone in the stratosphere. Subsequently, the Montreal Protocol in 1987 strengthened the convention, which was further adjusted and amended on June 29, 1990.

The concern over ozone was linked to attention to the observed phenomena of climate change. Eventually, the issue of the ozone appears to have been stabilized, and the issue of climate change evolved into a larger international concern.

The attention to the ozone issue relied on the scientific understanding of the effects of chlorofluorocar-bons in the context of the atmosphere. As a result of the interest in the subject, scientific research ...