Good news from the stratosphere: the ozone hole is smaller this year than it has been in many years – and well below the long-term average. Forty years ago, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol laid the foundation for banning ozone-depleting substances. Back then, countries around the world made a collective decision for climate protection. Natural atmospheric phenomena have also contributed to the recovery of the ozone hole. By 2066, the ozone layer could be fully restored.
Countries Choose Global Climate Protection Together
On World Ozone Day (September 16), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlighted the shrinking of the ozone hole as a positive signal for global environmental protection: it shows how international cooperation can truly bring about positive change.
“Forty years ago, nations came together to take the first step toward protecting the ozone layer – guided by science, united in action,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Exactly 40 years ago, on September 16, 1985, the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was adopted – a milestone in environmental protection. It laid the groundwork for the later ban on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which was established in the Montreal Protocol in 1987. Countries around the world agreed to gradually phase out ozone-depleting substances (CFCs). These had previously been used in refrigerators, air conditioners, fire-fighting foam, and hairspray. Since then, more than 99% of these harmful substances have been eliminated.
Full Recovery of the Ozone Layer by 2066
Today, the results are clear – and measurable. The concentration of destructive substances in the atmosphere has dropped significantly. Favorable weather conditions this year also allowed the ozone layer to remain more stable.
“As a result, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980s levels by the middle of this century,” the WMO reported.
According to the WMO, full recovery of the ozone layer will still take several decades – around 2045 over the Arctic and 2066 over the Antarctic. But the current state shows: the damage can at least be contained – if the right steps are taken.
