Happy Ozone Day!

31 years ago, the Montreal Protocol was signed to protect the Earth’s ozone layer. On 16 September, nations come together to celebrate the Ozone Day, marking the remarkable achievements of the treaty and urging everyone to "Keep Cool and Carry On" with the good work of protecting ozone and climate.

Under the Protocol, 197 parties agreed to heal the ozone layer, representing the first-ever universally ratified agreement on an environmental issue. Together, the world's nations have slashed the use of ozone-depleting substances by nearly 100 per cent. The ozone layer is now healing and will return to 1980 levels by mid-century, with many associated benefits – including up to two million cases of skin cancer avoided annually by 2030. 

The Protocol has contributed significantly to mitigation of climate change by averting more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions going into the atmosphere from 1990 to 2010. The treaty is expected to bring economic benefits worth over US$2.2 trillion by mid-century due to savings in healthcare costs and avoided damages to agriculture, fisheries, and materials.

Read more:

• Ozone secretariat at UN Environment
• Video message from the Executive Director of UN Environment Mr. Eric Solheim
• Be cool and save the ozone layer video