According to a recent report from the World Meteorological Organization, the earth’s protective ozone layer is healing and the hole should fully disappear in coming decades. The new report highlights the fact that the ozone hole over the Antarctic was smaller in 2024 than in recent years, partially due to the naturally occurring atmospheric factors. In 1987, a campaign began to phase out ozone-depleting substances found primarily in refrigeration, air conditioning and aerosol sprays. To date, over 99% of the production and consumption of controlled ozone-depleting substances has been phased out. As a result, the ozone layer is now on track to recover to 1980s levels by 2040, significantly reducing the risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and ecosystem damage due to excessive UV exposure.
