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Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System FFS for the Quantification of Methane Emissions
Published on: June 12, 2016
A decline in global CFC-11 emissions during 2018-2019.
Stephen A Montzka1, Geoffrey S Dutton2,3, Robert W Portmann4
1Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA. stephen.a.montzka@noaa.gov.
Global emissions of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) significantly decreased in 2019, indicating a reduction in unreported production. This accelerated decline in CFC-11 concentration suggests limited future ozone depletion if sustained.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- Environmental Science
- Ozone Layer Research
Background:
- Atmospheric trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) concentrations were declining post-Montreal Protocol phase-out.
- An unexpected slowdown in CFC-11 decline since 2013 was linked to increased emissions from unreported production.
- Sustained emissions threatened the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the recent trend in global mean CFC-11 concentration.
- To quantify changes in global CFC-11 emissions and identify sources.
- To assess the implications for stratospheric ozone layer recovery.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of atmospheric concentration measurements from remote global monitoring sites.
- Calculation of global CFC-11 emissions based on concentration changes.
- Comparison of recent emission data with historical averages.
Main Results:
- An accelerated decline in global mean CFC-11 concentration was observed during 2019-2020.
- Global CFC-11 emissions decreased by 26% from 2018 to 2019, reaching levels similar to 2008-2012.
- This reduction implies a significant decrease in unreported CFC-11 production.
Conclusions:
- The sharp decline in unexpected global emissions suggests a substantial reduction in illicit CFC-11 production.
- If sustained, this trend is likely to limit future ozone depletion.
- Despite increased CFC-11 bank, the accelerated emission reduction mitigates long-term ozone recovery risks.
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