The United Nations marks September 16 every year as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer or the World Ozone Day.
The ozone layer is a part of the Earth’s atmosphere which absorbs the bulk of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation that could otherwise cause catastrophic harm to living organisms on the surface.
The day is observed in commemoration of the successful global effort to protect the ozone layer and the continuing need to work together to prevent further harm to the ozone layer.
History
In the 1970s, scientists noticed that the protective ozone layer around the Earth was steadily and dangerously getting depleted.
The main cause for the depletion was the increasing use of chemicals like hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and halons which were being used as refrigerants, solvents, propellants, and foam-blowing agents.
These gases would float up in the atmosphere after being emitted where they would react with ozone to turn it into oxygen gas. A significant area of depleted ozone formed over the South Pole, which was called the ozone hole.
In response, countries across the globe signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987, which limited the use of HCFCs, CFCs, halons and other substances that deplete the ozone layer.
The treaty was ratified by all nations in the United Nations, making it the first universally ratified treaty in the history of the organisation. It resulted in the gradual reduction in the use of ozone-depleting chemicals.
While it will still take another 50 years for the ozone hole to fully recover, the global action for protection of the ozone layer was seen as a benchmark for how g policy-making should follow scientific discoveries to take urgent action.
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 16 as the World Ozone Day to mark the date that the Montreal Protocol was signed.
Significance and Theme
World Ozone Day is an important event to continue to spread awareness about the dangers of a depleting ozone layer and to promote innovations on how to better protect the ozone layer.
It also marks one of the most successful global policy campaigns for protecting the environment ever seen on the planet. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2022 marks 35 years of signing the original Montreal Protocol with the slogan of ‘Ozone for life’, a message that ozone must be protected for future generations as well.
