A major concern of the environment and climate, the deterioration of the ozone layer seems to be counting down, according to a report published by the United Nations. After decades of prohibitions on the production and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in refrigeration and aerosol systems, it is expected that, in most of the world, this gas stratum in the atmosphere will be recovered by 2040.

At the poles of the Earth, the time given by scientists is longer, and may reach 2066 in the case of Antarctica, and 2045 for the Arctic.

In the publication of the report, the researchers highlighted the importance of the Montreal Protocol, an agreement that in 1989 determined a global action of cooperation of countries to end the production of CFCs, as the greatest achievement so far freight to climate change.

On the progress of the Montreal Protocol, the UN panel confirmed that nearly 99% of banned substances that destroy the ozone layer have been eliminated from the Earth's atmosphere.

It is estimated that the improvements of this agreement, which later deactivated the production of greenhouse gases harmful to ozone, have further avoided a rise of 1°C in the planet's temperature.

"The ozone action sets a precedent for climate action," said Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), who released the report on Monday (9). "Our success in phasing out ozone-eliminating chemicals shows us what can and should be done urgently to abandon fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gases, and thus limit temperature increases."

In 2016, an amendment to the Montreal Protocol required the phasing out of production and consumption of some hydrofluorocarbons. These HFCs do not directly attack the ozone layer, but are powerful greenhouse gases and contribute to accelerating climate change and global warming, the UN says.

The so-called Kigali Amendment, which warned of these other substances, "will prevent 0.3–0.5°C from warming by 2100," the report estimates.

The challenge when it comes to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) is even greater, according to Taalas, as they remain in the atmosphere longer and, unlike CFCs, which have been produced by a number of companies, emissions from fossil fuels are much more widespread, present in almost all activities of society.

"CO2 is another order of magnitude when it comes to its longevity, which is worrisome," says the head of the WMO. "Making everyone on the planet stop burning fossil fuels is a very different challenge."

Source: Um só Planeta