A new assessment by the UN reports that the once-depleting ozone layer, which was one of the world's biggest environmental threats, is set to be completely healed within four decades.
The Ozone layer is a layer part of the atmosphere that protects against the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the Sun.
In the 1980's, in a shocking discovery, it was found that chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), etc used in hairspray and refrigerators had been reacting with the layer and damaging it, causing large holes to form and risking the exposure of the harmful UV rays.
In 1989, an International agreement between 14 countries was formed named the Montreal protocol. This agreement banned the usage of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
On 9 January 2023, the UN's scientific panel concluded that the actions taken under the Montreal Protocol has succeeded in strengthening the Ozone layer, helping to avoid global warming and protect against the UV rays.
The panel predicts the ozone hole over the Antarctica will be completely mended to it's 1980 state by the year 2066 and the one over the Arctic will be mended by 2045. The ozone layer is predicted to be restored across the world by 2040.
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