There is a need to phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, which lead to the continuing degradation of human health and the natural environment. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer provides a response to that need.

Furthermore, there is a commitment on the part of Governments that are parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) to implement legal, organizational and environmental management measures, including substantive technological changes, in order to comply with the requirements of the Convention. The production and use of POPs, as well as their presence in the biosphere, are causing serious damage to human health and the environment.

UNIDO supports countries in meeting their obligations under the major Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA), such as the Montreal Protocol, the Stockholm Convention, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

It aims to support countries in accessing non-ozone depleting substances (ODS) based technologies within the deadlines of the phase-out schedule set by the Montreal Protocol; to build the capacities of government offices and relevant national authorities responsible for its implementation with regard to the planning, developing and implementing of national phase-out plans and sector phase-out plans; and to create or promote appropriate sustainable industrial technologies to be utilized within these plans. UNIDO also supports  countries to build capacity to plan, develop and implement related industrial development aspects.