According to a report published by the World Meteorological Organization Report in September, there have been significant indications of healing in the ozone layer since the 1987 ratification of the Montreal Protocol. From the report’s introduction:
“The year 2025 marks the fortieth anniversary of the signing of the Vienna Convention of 1985 and the fiftieth anniversary of the 1975 WMO statement ‘Modification of the ozone layer due to human activities and some possible geophysical consequences.’ Despite the great success of the Montreal Protocol in the intervening decades, this work is not yet finished, and there remains an essential need for the world to continue careful systematic monitoring of both stratospheric ozone and of ozone-depleting substances and their replacements.”
If humanity can control emissions over a 40-year period, there is reason for optimism. But the urgency is real.
BU Professor of Earth and the Environment Robert Kaufman is concerned that countries like the U.S. continue to use fossil fuels as an energy source—despite their negative effects on the environment—due to economic self-interest.
“If it worked in the past, people will continue to do it, even if it’s not working now,” he said.
Read coverage of the WMO report in The Daily Free Press.
Read the full report in the WMO Ozone and UV Bulletin.