Visualization of the ozone layer in 2025 by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
By Dean Murray
The ozone layer will be fully recovered in decades, according to a new report.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 levels by around 2040 globally, by 2045 over the Arctic, and by approximately 2066 above Antarctica.
The ozone layer sits in the stratosphere between 15 km and 30 km above the earth and shields us and other living things from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.
The WMO Ozone Bulletin reported that the low level of ozone depletion observed in 2024 was partly due to naturally occurring atmospheric factors, which drive year-to-year fluctuations. However, the long-term positive trend reflects the success of concerted international action.
Map shows the size and shape of the ozone hole over the South Pole on the day of its 2024 maximum extent.
The report was issued for World Ozone Day on Tuesday (Sep 16) and the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention, which recognized stratospheric ozone depletion as a global problem and provided the framework for mobilizing international cooperation in ozone research, systematic observations and scientific assessments.
“Forty years ago, nations came together to take the first step in protecting the ozone layer — guided by science, united in action,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
“The Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol became a landmark of multilateral success. Today, the ozone layer is healing. This achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible,” he said.
Visualization of the ozone layer in 2025 by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
The WMO said that, to date, the Montreal Protocol has led to the phase-out of over 99% of the production and consumption of controlled ozone-depleting substances, which were used in refrigeration, air conditioning, firefighting foam and even hairspray.
They said: “As a result, the ozone layer is now on track to recover to 1980s levels by the middle of this century, significantly reducing risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and ecosystem damage due to excessive UV exposure.”
“Despite the great success of the Montreal Protocol in the intervening decades, this work is not yet finished, and there remains an essential need for the world to continue careful systematic monitoring of both stratospheric ozone and of ozone-depleting substances and their replacements,” said Matt Tully, Chair of WMO’s Scientific Advisory Group on Ozone and Solar UV Radiation.