OZONE DAY 16th September 2019

This #OzoneDay, we celebrate the ongoing healing of the ozone layer under the #MontrealProtocol to date while being mindful that managing unexpected ozone-depleting emissions requires vigilance.

Ozone Day 2019 celebrates the world’s greatest environmental success story:
the Montreal Protocol.

The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark agreement that has successfully reduced the global production, consumption, and emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs).  ODSs are also greenhouse gases that contribute to the radiative forcing of climate change. 198 parties agreed to heal the ozone layer, representing the first-ever universally ratified agreement on an environmental issue.

Under the Montreal Protocol:

  • Nations have cut out 99% of ozone-depleting substances. The ozone layer is healing and as a result we have avoided millions of cases of skin cancer & cataracts. On #OzoneDay we urge everyone to keep up the good work & keep on healing.
  • The ozone hole is expected to gradually close, with ozone returning to 1980 values by the 2060s
  • To date we have phased out nearly 100% of nearly 100 harmful ozone depleting substances.
  • We have averted more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions going into the atmosphere from 1990-2010. We are expected to save over US$2 trillion by 2060 due to health and economic benefits.
  • The Kigali Amendment under the Protocol is expected to avoid up to 0.4°C of global warming by the end of this century. It is vital component in the fight against climate change that continues to protect the ozone layer.
  • The Kigali Amendment will also see nations reduce global-warming-inducing HFCs by more than 80% over the next 30 years and replace them with more planet-friendly alternatives.

More than 1.1 billion people face significant risks from lack of access to refrigeration and air conditioning. But we can provide the cooling people need while protecting the planet by adopting more sustainable solutions.

#ClimateAction #OzoneDay #MontrealProtocol #KigaliAmendment #GoNatRef

What We Can Do

Learn why improving energy efficiency while switching to more climate-friendly refrigerant gases is one of the biggest opportunities to mitigate climate change.

Learn how this treaty is protecting crucial ecosystems and how you, too, can help.

Find out how the treaty is poised to do more for the climate. 

Learn how the scientists behind the scenes are working tirelessly monitoring the atmosphere and the state of the ozone layer.