September 15, 2020 Tuesday
MANILA, 16 September 2020 — In observance of the 35th International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) urged better measures that would prevent the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer and encouraged everyone to work together to preserving the life on our planet.
Celebrated on September 16th of every year, the international observance commemorates the signing of the 1987 Montreal Protocol on ‘Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer’ (Resolution 49/114), which aims to spread awareness on the depletion of the ozone layer and solutions to preserve it, by reducing the production of substances that are supposed to be responsible for the ozone layer depletion.
The CCC noted that the ‘ozone layer’ is the common term for the high concentration of ozone that is found in the stratosphere above the Earth’s surface which covers and protects the entire planet by absorbing harmful Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun.
It was discovered in the 1970’s that humanity was creating a hole in the ozone layer–caused by ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) used in aerosols and cooling, such as refrigerators and air-conditioners–which increases cases of skin cancer and cataracts, as well as damage plants, crops, and ecosystems. Since then, swift global action from among governments and industries has resulted in measures to control total global production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, in consideration of recent developments in scientific knowledge and technological solutions.
With this year’s theme “Ozone for life: 35 years of ozone layer protection,” the observance reminds everyone of the crucial role of the ozone in sustaining all forms of life on Earth and of everyone’s responsibility to maintain and preserve its current state for the present and future generations.
As the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis have brought social and economic setbacks for many countries around the world, the CCC expressed that the message of working together in harmony and for the collective good is as crucial now more than ever.
