International day for preservation of ozone layer: Significance and history
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To raise awareness about the need to protect this layer, the world observes International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer on September 16 every year
A fragile shield of gas, known as the ozone layer, protects the Earth from the harmful rays of the sun. However, this protective layer is threatened by industrial and other forms of pollution.
The thinning of the ozone layer, if left unchecked, will eventually expose humans to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, particularly the harmful UVB-type radiation, known to cause skin cancer and induce cataract formation.
To raise awareness about the need to protect this layer, the world observes International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer on September 16 every year.
Marking the global event, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, wrote on Twitter, “through joint climate action, we can win the race against the existential threat of climate change”. He also used the hashtag ‘OzoneDay'.
The cooperation we have seen to successfully protect and heal the ozone layer is what we desperately need now to address the climate crisis.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 16, 2021
Through joint #ClimateAction, we can win the race against the existential threat of climate change. #OzoneDay
United Nations, on its official Twitter handle, wrote that the healing of the ozone layer was an example of how the world can come together to address global challenges, such as the climate crisis.
16 September is #WorldOzoneDay - a chance to celebrate that invisible layer that keeps us all safe from the sun. ☀️
— UN Biodiversity (@UNBiodiversity) September 16, 2021
We must keep protecting it.
Find out more via @UNEP: https://t.co/7HWrOi0xZu #KeepingCool #ForNature pic.twitter.com/ys29I92rdh
The day dates back to Montreal protocol.
This one protocol regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
It was adopted in 1987 and is the only UN treaty that has been ratified by all 198 member-states.
In the year 1994, the UN General Assembly declared September 16 as the International Day for the Prevention of the Ozone layer.
A united global effort meant that the hole in the ozone layer is healing. The Montreal Protocol's main objective is to protect the ozone layer by curbing global production and consumption of substances that deplete it.
"A united global effort to phase out ozone-depleting substances means that today, the hole in the ozone layer is healing, in turn protecting human health, economies and ecosystems. But, as this year’s World Ozone Day seeks to highlight, the Montreal Protocol does so much more – such as slowing climate change and helping to boost energy efficiency in the cooling sector, which contributes to food security", read the official website of the United Nations.