International Ozone Day

Dear colleagues, Today is the International Ozone Day, an annual event that commemorates the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Countries around the world are celebrating this day under the theme ‘Ozone and climate: Restored by a world united’. This year’s #OzoneDay is observed at a time when the 197 parties to the Montreal Protocol are preparing to convene in Kigali, Rwanda, next month to continue working towards an agreement in 2016 to reduce climate change-inducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol. Reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol can avoid 0.5°C of global warming by the end of the century, while continuing to protect the ozone layer. Read the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon’s message, watch the Head of UN Environment Erik Solheim’s video message, and share @UNEP’s #OzoneDay social media messages. Happy #OzoneDay!