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A few weeks after the publication of the last IPCC report, which describes the devastating effects of a 2° C temperature increase compared to pre-industrial levels, the results of a new UN-supported report, showing the continued recovery of the ozone hole. The study, "Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2018", is the latest in a series of reports, published every four years, that monitor the recovery of ozone in the stratosphere, a layer that protects life on Earth from lethal radiation from from the sun. According to the results contained in the study, in fact, the concentration of substances that reduce the ozone layer would seem to be continuously decreasing, so much so that an improvement in the ozone hole conditions was recorded compared to the previous assessment carried out in 2014. Since 2000, in some parts of the stratosphere, the ozone layer has recovered at a rate of 1-3% and, wanting to make predictions, the researchers risk a complete recovery by 2030 in the northern hemisphere, by 2050 in the southern one and by 2060 in the polar regions.
The achievement of similar results has been possible thanks to internationally agreed actions under the historic Montreal Protocol, which emerged over 30 years ago, when it became clear that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other substances such as contained in the cooling and refrigeration systems, they were tearing the ozone layer and allowing dangerous ultraviolet radiation to spread over the earth. These results are a demonstration of what global agreements can achieve and an inspiration for more ambitious climate action to stop a catastrophic increase in global temperatures, now more than ever coveted considering also what emerged from the latest report of the IPCC.
Next year, the Montreal Protocol will be strengthened with the ratification of the Kigali amendment, which provides for the future cut of the powerful gases used in refrigerators, air conditioners and related products, responsible for global warming. "The Montreal Protocol is one of the most successful multilateral agreements in history for a reason - said Erik Solheim, Head of the UN Environment - The careful mix between the authoritativeness of science and the collaborative action that defined the Protocol for more of 30 years and that has been set to heal our ozone layer is precisely the reason why the Kigali amendment keeps this promise for climate action in the future ". The authors of the report found that if the Kigali amendment is fully implemented, the world can avoid up to 0.4% of global warming this century, which means it will play an important role in maintaining global warming below 2° C.
(source: rinnovabili.it)
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