After decades of work to get rid of ozone–depleting chemicals, the Earth‘s protective ozone layer is on track to recovery by 2040, according to a panel of international experts backed by the United Nations.
The most recent report on the progress of the Montreal Protocol confirms that almost 99 percent of ozone–depleting substances have been phased out, and that by continuing current policies, the ozone layer will return to 1980s levels by 2040 and completely heal by 2066.
The ozone layer, which serves an important function for living things on Earth by shielding us from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation, was discovered to have a hole in 1985. Scientists soon realized that man–made chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons, used in aerosol sprays and as solvents and refrigerants, were wreaking havoc on the ozone layer. In response to this alarming discovery, the international community adopted the Montreal Protocol two years later to begin the phaseout of nearly 100 synthetic chemicals.
The efforts to save the ozone layer not only benefit the health of the planet, but they are also proving beneficial in the fight against climate change. Although ozone depletion is not a major cause of climate change, experts believe the long–term effects of saving the ozone layer will help to reduce manmade impact on the environment.
