ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the economics of the ozone problem, the responsibility for the problem and the stakes involved in negotiating a response. The ozone regime is often cited as an exemplary model of what a successful international environmental lawmaking could look like. The chapter discusses the divergent responses that arose from the industrialized North who were the main protagonists of ozone negotiations until 1989. The success of the ozone regime was not achieved without overcoming many obstacles, quite similar to ones faced by other international environmental problems: “genuine scientific uncertainty over the scale of the harm, a sharply divided international community, potentially high transition costs, and a global problem requiring a global solution”. There was a wave of ecological consciousness amongst scientists, political leaders, citizens and international organizations to gain as much support and cooperation to prevent the further damage of the ozone layer.
