The last century, scientists confirmed the alarming reality of significant exhaustion in the ozone layer, an invisible gas coat that surrounds the earth and protects it from UV of the UV of the sun.
The collection of substances that exhaust ozone included CFC or chlorofluorocarbons, which in the mid -1980s were commonly found in daily products such as airs, fridges and aerosol cans.
Science led to global action. Upon realizing that harmful UV radiation was entering the atmosphere through what was potentially a damaged ozone layer, countries committed themselves under the Vienna Convention in 1985, to do what was needed for the protection of people and the planet.
“The Vienna Convention and its Montreal protocol became a milestone of multilateral success“Said UN Secretary General, António Guterres, in a message for World Ozone Day of this year.
“Today, the ozone layer is healing,” he said.
What is the Vienna Convention?
Forty years ago, countries joined to take the first step to protect the ozone layer, “guided by science, together in action,” continued the UN chief.
The Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer, adopted and signed by 28 countries on March 22, 1985, formalized universal cooperation on the protection of the fragile ozone layer.
It is the first treaty signed by all countries of the world and the precursor of the Montreal protocol.
The objective of the Montreal protocol is to monitor global production and the consumption of substances that exhaust the ozone layer, and eventually eliminate them.
Multilateralism at its best
In a video message, Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), stressed that through the action under the conventions “the substances that exhaust the ozone have now eradicated practically and the hole in the ozone layer is closing.”
After the scientists sounded the alarm, the countries, the nations and the companies joined and took measures for the planet.
“That is multilateralism at its best“He added.
The Montreal protocol has progressed well both in developed countries and in development with most elimination schedules, the time given for each country to gradually stop the production of harmful substances, adhered or even exceeded.
“This achievement reminds us that when nations pay attention to the warnings of science, progress is possible“Said Mr. Guterres.
Next in the row, the Kigali amendment
In his message, Mr. Guterres urged governments to ratify and implement the Kigali amendment to the Montreal protocol, which undertakes to reduce or reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), greenhouse gases used mainly in cooling technologies.
“Implementing the Kigali amendment could avoid up to 0.5 Celsius warming degrees for the end of the century,” he said. “Together with an energy efficiency cooling, we could double these profits.”
As described in the Paris Agreement, countries have agreed to try to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“On this world ozone day, we compromise to preserve our ozone layer and protect people and the planet for coming generations,” said the UN Chief.