UN success stories no one talks about: saving the ozone layer

Originally published by The Brief, a podcast covering international affairs top stories and interviews with the biggest names in international politics. 

A new MIT-led study in Nature magazine confirms that the Antarctic ozone layer is healing as a direct result of global efforts to reduce ozone-depleting substances (ODS). When released into the atmosphere, these chemicals damage the stratospheric ozone layer, the Earth’s shield that protects people and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

The new study is the first to show, with high statistical confidence, that the recovery of the ozone layer is due primarily to the reduction of ODS, rather than natural weather variability or increased greenhouse gas emissions to the stratosphere.

The reduction in the production and use of ODS is down to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, a landmark multilateral environmental agreement adopted in 1987.

The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries, and its activities are implemented by four international agencies - the UN Environment Programme, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Bank.

The main agency for Multilateral Fund project implementation is UNIDO, which has received over US$900 million in funding since 1993. These funds have been used to provide technical assistance in developing countries to help them phase out ODS in the foam, refrigeration, air conditioning, aerosol, solvent and healthcare sectors.

One of the authors of the Nature study, Susan Solomon, says, “There’s been a lot of qualitative evidence showing that the Antarctic ozone hole is getting better. This is really the first study that has quantified confidence in the recovery of the ozone hole. The conclusion is, with 95% confidence, it is recovering. Which is awesome. And it shows we can actually solve environmental problems.”

See: Study: The ozone hole is healing, thanks to global reduction of CFCs

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