According to the United Nations Environment Programme; The Ozone layer, aka planet Earth’s “UV shield,” is regenerating at a good pace. The latest Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion estimates that since 2000, parts of the ozone layer has recovered at a rate of one to three percent every 10 years.
“At projected rates, the Northern Hemisphere and mid-latitude ozone will heal completely by the 2030s, with the Southern Hemisphere repaired by the 2050s, and Polar Regions in the following decade,” the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said.
On Sept 16, 2019, World Ozone Day celebrates “32 Years and Healing”; a commemoration of the international commitment to protect the ozone layer and climate, under the historic Montreal Protocol; a treaty that led to the phaseout of 99 percent of ozone-depleting chemicals in refrigerators, air-conditioners, and other consumer products.
Regenerating the ozone has helped curb the effects of climate change with approximately 135 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2010 averted by a strong protective shield.
UNEP said the phaseout of controlled uses of ozone-depleting substances has not only helped replenish the protective layer for future generations but is also helping guard human health by filtering harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching Earth which increases incidents of skin cancer, eye cataracts, compromised immune systems and harm to agricultural lands and forests.
As of late last year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported the global concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is still steadily on the rise, with consequential warming effects on the planet and ozone-teardown.
“We can celebrate success but we must all push to keep hold of these gains, in particular by remaining vigilant and tackling any illegal sources of ozone-depleting substances as they arise,” UNEP said.
The Montreal Protocol is the only UN treaty to be adopted by all member states, with all parties sharing responsibilities relating to phasing out ozone-depleting substances, controlled trade of such substances, annual data reporting and other matters.
The agency called for the support of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which entered into force last Jan 1. The agreement targets the phasing out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), or climate-warming gases, which could avoid a global temperature rise of up to 0.4 degrees Celsius by end-century.
