The Montreal Protocol––which aims to reduce emissions of ozone-depleting gases––has had the unexpected benefit of slowing Arctic sea ice loss, according to new research.
In 1987, nearly 200 countries signed the landmark Montreal Protocol, promising to limit their emissions of “ozone-depleting substances” in an effort to slow the thinning of the planet’s ozone layer.
The agreement is widely hailed as one of the most successful environmental treaties ever implemented.
Today, nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have been phased out and the ozone layer is on track to recover fully in the coming decades.
However, the treaty has also brought unexpected benefits.
Many of the chemicals banned under the agreement are powerful greenhouse gases and, by limiting their emissions, the Montreal Protocol has already averted around 0.5C of global warming.
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