A new report confirms that concerted global action, driven by science, has put the Earth’s ozone layer on a successful path to recovery
A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms that after decades of global action, the ozone layer is showing significant signs of recovery. ‘This achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible,’ says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
For years, stratospheric ozone – the layer that shields us from the sun’s most harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation – was being stripped away by human-made chemicals found in everything from refrigerators to hairspray. Scientists sounded the alarm in the 1970s, warning the world of the danger to people’s and the planet’s health.
The international community came together to sign the Vienna Convention, an agreement that recognised ozone depletion as a global crisis and laid the groundwork for a united scientific effort. This was followed by the Montreal Protocol, a landmark agreement that has since been hailed as one of the most successful environmental treaties in history. To date, this protocol has led to the global phase-out of over 99 per cent of the ozone-depleting substances that were wreaking havoc on our atmosphere.
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The WMO Ozone Bulletin 2024, released on World Ozone Day and the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention, highlights the long-term positive trend in ozone recovery. The Antarctic ozone hole, which forms annually during the Southern Hemisphere spring, had an Ozone Mass Deficit (OMD) of 46.1 million tonnes on 29 September, a figure below the 1990–2020 average. While natural atmospheric factors contribute to year-to-year fluctuations in the ozone hole’s size, the overall trajectory is a clear reflection of successful human intervention.
Continued atmospheric monitoring remains a vital component of this success. The WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch Programme provides the essential data that informs policy-making and verifies the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol. As Matt Tully, Chair of WMO’s Scientific Advisory Group, says: ‘There remains an essential need for the world to continue careful systematic monitoring.’
According to the most recent scientific assessment in 2022, if current policies remain in place, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 levels – before the appearance of the ozone hole – by around 2066 over the Antarctic, 2045 over the Arctic, and 2040 for the rest of the world. This timeline, grounded in comprehensive scientific analysis, offers a clear and achievable goal for the international community.
