Ozone recovery: A rare environmental success story or a fluke of nature?
03/07/2025 / By Willow Tohi
A new MIT-led study confirms that the Antarctic ozone hole is healing and is expected to close completely within the next decade, marking a significant environmental success.
The ozone layer, which protects Earth from harmful UV radiation, began thinning in the 1970s, leading to the discovery of the ozone hole in 1985. This prompted the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which phased out ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and has been ratified by 197 countries and the European Union.
The study uses “fingerprinting” to isolate the impact of reduced CFCs from natural variability, concluding with 95% confidence that the ozone hole is healing primarily due to global CFC reduction. This is the first study to quantify the recovery with high statistical confidence.
Despite progress, the recovery is not uniform globally, with mid-latitude ozone recovery lagging. Factors like climate change, atmospheric circulation patterns and very short-lived substances (VSLSs) containing chlorine and bromine may be contributing to this uneven recovery.
The Antarctic ozone hole could fully recover by 2035, showcasing the potential of global cooperation. However, the interplay between ozone recovery and climate change remains complex, highlighting the need for sustained effort and vigilance in addressing environmental challenges.
https://www.pollution.news/2025-03-07-ozone-recovery-environmental-success-story-or-fluke.html
