UNEP says the ozone layer recovery on track

Recovery of the ozone layer could be realized in the next four decades amid rapid phase-out of chemicals that are responsible for depleting this sensitive part of the atmosphere, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said Monday.

Citing an assessment report from an UN-backed panel of experts, the UNEP said that nearly 99 percent of banned ozone-depleting substances had been phased out, amid a boost to planetary health and climate resilience.

"The Montreal Protocol has thus succeeded in safeguarding the ozone layer, leading to the notable recovery of the ozone layer in the upper stratosphere and decreased human exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun," the UNEP said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Megumi Seki, executive secretary of UNEP's Ozone Secretariat, hailed the accelerating recovery of the ozone layer, adding that it will inject vitality into the global response to climate change.

Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said that the success in phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals should serve as a clarion call for nations to hasten the transition from fossil fuels and curb the emission of planet-warming gases.