For all those worried about the earth’s climate owing to the depletion of the ozone layer, here’s some good news finally – the ozone layer is getting restored gradually. This has been stated in a report backed by the UN titled Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018. The report has been prepared by an expert panel from the United Nations Environment Programme and World Meteorological Organization. It observes that the recovery in the protective ozone covering is mainly due to the joint efforts of nations that are a part of the Montreal Protocol.
Reports such as the aforementioned ones are prepared and published every four years.
As of now, the Northern Hemisphere leads with respect to restoration of ozone layers. It is expected that the entire cover would be replenished by 2030s. Meanwhile, the Southern hemisphere lags the Northern Hemisphere. But by the middle of this century, the Southern hemisphere would play catch up too. And if the nations are able to maintain the momentum, the large hole in the ozone layer just above the Antarctic in the Southern Hemisphere would be history by 2060s.
One of the main reasons why the ozone layer got depleted in the first place is due to the presence of a range of ozone depleting substances (ODS) such as halons and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The two were outlawed in 2010 because of their fallout on the environment. In fact, since then, there has been proactive efforts to supplant those with other less harmful ones, namely hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
