International Action Against Ozone Depleting

International Action Against Ozone Depleting
Substances Yields Significant Gains September 10, 2014
› Back To Top
Worldwide action to phase out ozone-depleting
substances has resulted in remarkable success,
according to a new assessment by 300
international scientists. The stratospheric ozone
layer, a fragile shield of gas that protects Earth
from harmful ultraviolet light, is on track to
recovery over the next few decades.
The Assessment for Decision-Makers, a summary
of the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion
2014, provides new information to affirm that the
1987 international agreement known as the
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer has successfully resulted in global
international policies to reduced levels of ozone-
depleting substances.
The report is conducted by the World
Meteorological Organization, or WMO, and the
United Nations Environmental Program, or UNEP,
and co-sponsored by NASA, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, and the
European Commission. Science teams from these
organizations and other countries have been
monitoring the ozone layer on the ground, by
balloon and with a variety of satellite instruments
dating back to NASA's Nimbus 4 satellite,
launched in 1970.
The most current ozone hole satellite data comes
from the Ozone Monitoring and Profiler Suite
instrument on the NASA-NOAA Suomi National
Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite, known as
Suomi NPP, and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument
and Microwave Limb Sounder on NASA's Aura
satellite.
"It is particularly gratifying to report that the
ozone layer is on track for recovery to 1980
benchmark levels by mid-century," said Paul A.
Newman, chief scientist for atmospheres at
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Maryland, and a co-chair of the WMO/UNEP
report. "Many of these early signs of ozone
improvements are due to decades of work and
contributions by NASA and NOAA instruments and
scientists."
Ozone depleting substances are also powerful
greenhouse gases. The Montreal Protocol
provided a double benefit: stopping ozone
depletion, and slowing the growth of greenhouse
gases. “Substitutes for ozone depleting
substances are ozone safe, but many are
powerful greenhouse gases. These substitutes
could offset the climate gains achieved by the
Montreal Protocol in the future," Newman said.
The Assessment for Decision-Makers, a summary
of the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion
2014 is the first comprehensive update in four
years. The full report will be available in early
2015.