Ozone hole is filling up

GS Paper 3

Syllabus: Environment and Conservation

Source: IE

 Direction: The article discusses the efforts made to repair the ozone hole and how these efforts paid off.

Context:

• The ozone hole, previously thought to be the most serious threat to planetary life, is now predicted to be completely healed by 2066.
• This is stated in an UN-backed scientific team report titled ‘Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion 2022’.

Key highlights of the report:

• The ozone layer is predicted to return to 1980 levels over Antarctica by 2066, 2045 for the Arctic, and 2040 for the remainder of the planet.
• The ozone hole has been steadily improving since 2000, thanks to the Montreal Protocol’s (1987) effective implementation.
  • The Montreal Protocol mandates countries to phase out production of all main ozone depleting substances (ODSs).
  • The Kigali Amendment (2016) to the Montreal Protocol aims to phase down 80-90% of the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) currently in use by 2050.
  • HFCs have replaced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in industrial use and the amendment seeks to prevent additional 0.3 to 0.5 degree Celsius of global warming by the end of the century.
  • HFCs do not cause much ozone layer damage, which is why they were not originally prohibited, but they are extremely powerful greenhouse gases (GHGs).
• Nearly 99% of the Montreal Protocol-banned substances have now been phased out of usage, resulting in a slow but steady rebuilding of the ozone layer.
• The eradication of ODSs has a significant climate change co-benefit because these compounds are also potent GHGs, expected to prevent 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius of warming by 2050.

Is it possible to use the success of repairing the ozone hole to slow the rate of global warming?

• The success of the Montreal Protocol in closing the ozone hole is widely mentioned as a model for climate action.
• However, the parallels between the eradication of ODSs and the reduction of GHGs are limited because the usage of ODSs (though widespread) was limited to a few specific industries and their replacements were readily available.

The case of fossil fuels is very different:

• CO2 emissions are directly related to energy production and it is produced by almost every economic activity.
• Even so-called renewable energies, such as solar and wind, have significant carbon footprints due to the use of fossil fuels in their manufacturing, transportation, and operation.
• Methane emissions, the other primary GHG, are primarily caused by agricultural operations and livestock.

Conclusion:

• The influence of reducing GHG emissions is not restricted to a few economic sectors, but affects the entire economy, as well as human lifestyles, habits, and behaviours.
• Without a question, dealing with climate change is a considerably more challenging and complex problem than dealing with ozone depletion.

Insta Links:

Large year-round ozone hole over tropics

Prelims Links: (UPSC 2022)