A report published today by the European Environment Agency reveals that the EU is successfully phasing out harmful ozone-depleting substances, with consumption (import, export and production) at its lowest level on record in 2013.
This news, on International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, gives a positive message on compliance with the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty designed to phase out the production of numerous substances responsible for ozone depletion.
The European Union has a strong commitment to protect the ozone layer, which shields the earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, and has put in place legislation that is among the strictest and most advanced in the world.
The successful efforts of the international community under the Montreal Protocol mean that the ozone layer is on track to recover by the middle of the century, according to a recent UN report.
However, the study, published by researchers from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), says that challenges still remain. Concentrations of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide – the three main long-lived gases – will have an increasing influence over what happens to the ozone layer in the second half of the 21st century, warn the report's authors.
The message underlines the theme of this year's Ozone Day: “Ozone Layer Protection: The Mission Goes On.”
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Details
- Publication date
- 16 September 2014
- Author
- Directorate-General for Climate Action