Ozone Layer On Track To Recovery: UN Report

"Without the Montreal Protocol and associated agreements, atmospheric levels of ozone depleting substances could have increased ten-fold by 2050."

According to global models, the Protocol will have prevented 2 million cases of skin cancer annually by 2030, averted damage to human eyes and immune systems, and protected wildlife and agriculture.

However, the assessment report cautions that the rapid increase in certain substitutes, which are themselves also potent greenhouse gases, has the potential to undermine these gains.

Another finding of the report was that the Antarctic ozone hole, which continues to occur each spring, is expected to continue occurring for the better part of this century as the ozone depleting substances persist in the atmosphere, even though their emissions have ceased.

Also, the Arctic stratosphere in winter or spring 2011 was particularly ozone depletion as expected under these conditions.

The WMO too came out in praise in the success of the Montreal Protocol.

"International action on the ozone layer is a major environmental success story," said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

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