Every year September 16 is marked as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. On December 19, 2000, the United Nations General Assembly designated the day in remembrance of the date in 1987 when nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The ozone layer, a delicate layer of gas, shields the Earth from the harmful rays of the sun. The celebrations are also known as World Ozone Day.
According to the United Nations, the theme for this year, 32 Years and Healing, celebrates over three decades of international cooperation to protect the ozone layer and the climate under the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol has led to the phase-out of 99 percent of ozone-depleting chemicals in refrigerators, air-cooling systems and other products.
"As we rightly focus our energies on tackling climate change, we must be careful not to neglect the ozone layer and stay alert to the threat posed by the illegal use of ozone-depleting gases. The recent detection of emissions of one such gas, CFC-11, reminds us that we need continued monitoring and reporting systems, and improved regulations and enforcement, " said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the occasion of World Ozone Day.
On the occasion of World Ozone Day, the United Nations urges the citizens of the world to show support the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which came into force on January 1, 2019. According to the Kigali Amendment, by phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent climate-warming gases, the world can avoid up to 0.4 degree Celsius of global temperature rise by the end of the century, while continuing to protect the ozone layer.
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