The UN says that by 2066 the ozone layer will have fully recovered

The UN said Monday that by 2066 the ozone layer will have fully recovered thanks to a worldwide ban on the use of chemicals that caused a hole in the ozonosphere over the Antarctic.

The Scientific Advisory Group of the Montreal Protocolan international agreement that came into force in 1989 to eliminate the use of chemicals that damage the ozone layer, said in a report released today that 99% of banned substances have ceased to be used, which is allowing the ozonosphere recovery.

The scientists pointed out that, if current policies are maintained, by 2066 the ozone layer in the Antarctica will have recovered to the levels it had in 1980. In the Arcticrecovery will occur faster, in 2045, while in the world challenge it will be in 2040.

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Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat of the UN Environment Programdescribed the conclusions of the scientists as “fantastic news”.

“The impact that the Montreal Protocol has had on mitigating climate change cannot be ignored. During the past 35 years, the Protocol has been a true defender of the environment”Seki added.

An amendment to Montreal Protocol approved in 2016 requires the gradual elimination of the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which, although they do not directly damage ozone, do contribute to climate change.

According to the Protocol’s scientific panel, phasing out the use of HFCs will reduce global warming by 0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2100.

The group of scientists also warned about the possible negative effects of the injection into the stratosphere of products to reduce climate change.

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The call Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (IEA) has been proposed as a possible method to limit the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface and thus reduce climate change.

But the scientific panel warned that the IEA could affect temperatures in the stratosphere, the circulation and production of ozone, as well as the destruction and transport rates of the gas.

The ozone layer, or ozonosphere, is an area of ​​the stratosphere that protects the planet from ultraviolet rays emitted by the Sun. The ozonosphere absorbs between 97 and 99% of ultraviolet radiation.

Without the protection of ozone, a gas made up of three oxygen atoms, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun would irreversibly damage life on the planet.

Source: EFE

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