The correct option is Montreal Protocol.
Explanation
International environmental protocols are legally binding agreements negotiated between nations to address specific global ecological challenges. The protection of the stratospheric ozone layer is primarily governed by the Vienna Convention (1985) and its operational protocol adopted shortly thereafter.
Option Analysis
- Montreal Protocol Montreal Protocol: Correct. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was adopted on September 16, 1987. It is a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. It is the only UN treaty to be ratified by every country on Earth (universal ratification).
- Kyoto Protocol Kyoto Protocol: Incorrect. This protocol was adopted in 1997 (COP 3) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its primary objective was to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to combat global warming, not ozone depletion.
- Geneva Protocol Geneva Protocol: Incorrect. The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol, was signed in 1925. It deals with the prohibition of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflicts.
- Nagoya Protocol Nagoya Protocol: Incorrect. The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization was adopted in 2010. It is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Key Takeaway: The Montreal Protocol (1987) is specifically dedicated to phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), whereas the Kyoto Protocol (1997) targets Greenhouse Gases (GHGs).