The correct option is (b) Montreal Protocol.
Explanation
International environmental protocols are legally binding agreements negotiated between nations to address specific ecological challenges. The protection of the ozone layer is governed by the Vienna Convention and its operational protocol, the Montreal Protocol.
Option-wise Analysis:
- (a) Bretton Woods Conference: Incorrect. This conference, held in 1944, related to international financial arrangements. It led to the establishment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), now part of the World Bank Group.
- (b) Montreal Protocol: Correct. Adopted in 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion (e.g., Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs). It is the only UN treaty to be ratified by every country on Earth (universal ratification).
- (c) Kyoto Protocol: Incorrect. Adopted in 1997 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), this protocol commits industrialized countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to combat global warming, not ozone depletion.
- (d) Nagoya Protocol: Incorrect. Adopted in 2010 under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), this protocol deals with Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS).
Key Takeaway:
The Montreal Protocol is specifically associated with phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), whereas the Kyoto Protocol targets Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and the Nagoya Protocol focuses on biodiversity and genetic resources.