Tomorrow is World Ozone Day. The day is “celebrated” every year and every year there is a specific theme. This year, in 2023, the theme is Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change.
The Montreal Protocol, finalized in 1987, is a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS.) ODS are substances that were commonly used in products such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers, and aerosols. The Montreal Protocol has proven to be innovative and successful, and it is the first treaty to achieve universal ratification by all countries in the world.
In 2016, parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali Amendment to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) worldwide. HFCs are widely used alternatives to ODS such as Hydrochloroflourcarbons (HFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs,) which are already controlled under the Protocol.
The latest update from the Scientific Assessment Panel to the Montreal Protocol confirmed that ozone layer recovery is on track and ozone levels are expected to return to 1980 levels by around 2066 over the Antarctic.
So we’re making progress, but there’s still a long way to go — hopefully, we’ll get the world to cooperate on broader climate change issues……
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