Ozone Layer Shows Signs of Recovery, Report Reveals
(MENAFN) The Earth’s ozone layer, long under threat from harmful chemicals, is showing significant signs of recovery, with the ozone hole in 2024 measuring smaller than in recent years, according to a report released Tuesday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
This year’s low levels of ozone depletion were partly attributed to natural atmospheric variability, the WMO’s Ozone Bulletin stated. However, the agency emphasized that the overall long-term improvement stems from sustained international efforts to eliminate ozone-depleting substances.
The findings arrive on World Ozone Day and coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention — a milestone accord that laid the groundwork for global cooperation in monitoring and protecting the stratospheric ozone layer.
"Forty years ago, nations came together to take the first step in protecting the ozone layer -- guided by science, united in action," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"The Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol became a landmark of multilateral success. Today, the ozone layer is healing. This achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible," he said.
The Ozone Bulletin noted that the Montreal Protocol, adopted under the Vienna Convention, has successfully eliminated over 99% of the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. These chemicals—once common in products like air conditioners, firefighting foams, and hairsprays—have been largely phased out, leading to measurable gains.
As a result, scientists now expect the ozone layer to return to pre-1980s levels by mid-century, a development projected to substantially reduce the global incidence of skin cancer, cataracts, and environmental harm caused by ultraviolet radiation.
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