Earth’s Ozone Layer on Track for Full Recovery by 2066, WMO Reports

In a rare piece of good environmental news, scientists say the Earth’s ozone layer is healing faster than expected and could be fully restored by 2066, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) latest Ozone Bulletin, released to mark the 40th anniversary of the Vienna Convention.

The report reveals that ozone loss over Antarctica has declined significantly in recent years, extending a steady recovery trend that began decades ago. Researchers attribute this progress in ozone layer’s recovery largely to the global phaseout of ozone-depleting chemicals, especially chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)—once common in aerosols, refrigerators, and fire suppression systems.

The ozone layer, which shields life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is vital to human and ecological health. Without it, scientists warn, the planet would face heightened risks of skin cancer, cataracts, immune system damage, and disruption of marine and plant ecosystems.

The major turning point came with the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a landmark international treaty endorsed by nearly 200 countries, committing to eliminate the production and use of CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances. Thanks to that global effort, the WMO predicts that ozone concentrations could return to 1980 levels by around 2040 in most parts of the world, while the Antarctic ozone hole is expected to close completely by 2066.

“This is no coincidence,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, praising decades of international cooperation, open data sharing, and sustained atmospheric monitoring. “The ozone recovery is proof that when the world acts together on a global environmental threat, remarkable progress is possible.”

Scientists say the ozone success story offers a powerful reminder that collective global action can reverse environmental damage—a hopeful precedent as the world now confronts the much larger challenge of climate change.