Depletion of the ozone layer has been steadily improving in the wake of the 1989 Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) initially used as solvents and refrigerants.
The progress is slow, according to the new United Nations report presented on Monday at the American Meteorological Society in Denver. The ozone layer is on track to be completely recovered by 2040 across the world aside from the polar regions which are set to fully bounce back by 2045 over the Arctic and by 2066 over the Antarctic, the report said.
The UN stated that the action taken on the ozone layer had also bolstered the more ponderous response to the climate crisis. “Ozone action sets a precedent for climate action,” said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, which unveiled the progress report conducted every four years. “Our success in phasing out ozone-eating chemicals shows us what can and must be done as a matter of urgency to transition away from fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases and so limit temperature increase.”
According to David Fahey, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and lead author of the new assessment stated the Montreal Protocol should be considered “the most successful environmental treaty in history and offers encouragement that countries of the world can come together and decide an outcome and act on it.”