The Earth’s ozone layer is on its way to recovering, thanks to decades of work to get rid of ozone-damaging chemicals, a panel of international experts backed by the United Nations has found.
In 1987, international bodies adopted a global agreement called the Montreal Protocol. This established the phaseout of almost 100 synthetic chemicals that were tied to the destruction of the all-important ozone.
In the latest report on the progress of the Montreal Protocol, the U.N.-backed panel confirmed that nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances have been phased out.
If current policies stay in place, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values by 2040, the U.N. announced.
The ozone layer serves as a shield in the stratosphere that protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
