SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (Askume) – The World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday the world’s ozone layer was on a “long-term recovery path” despite devastating volcanic eruptions in the South Pacific, following efforts to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals.
The UN agency said that based on current trends, the ozone layer over Antarctica is expected to return to 1980 levels around 2066, the ozone layer over the Arctic around 2045 and the ozone layer over other parts of the world around 2040.
Tonga said in its annual ozone bulletin that although ozone depletion over Antarctica intensified in a short period last year due to a volcanic eruption near Tonga in early 2022, the overall loss was limited due to high water vapor content in the atmosphere .
The ozone layer protects the Earth from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which has been linked to skin cancer and other health risks.
The success of the Montreal Protocol, which entered into force in 1989 and agreed to phase out chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting substances, has “become a powerful symbol of hope” at a time when multilateral cooperation is under pressure, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement.
CFCs have been largely replaced by hydrofluorocarbons, which do not contribute to ozone depletion but are potent climate-warming greenhouse gases.
Countries are currently implementing the 2016 Montreal–Kigali Amendment, which will gradually reduce HFC production and avoid about 0.5 °C of temperature rise by 2100.
China remains the world’s largest HFC producer, with current production capacity of about 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. About a quarter is exported.
China’s environment ministry said on Monday it would soon release a plan to better regulate the production of hydrofluorocarbons. As a developing country, it is obliged to cut HFC consumption by 85% between 2013 and 2045.
China is cutting manufacturing quotas and cracking down on illegal production , but has warned it still “faces major challenges” in phasing out HFC products this year.
