The Ozone layer is showing the first signs of an upward ozone trend, putting it back on the track to recovery, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

According to the report the ozone layer is on track to reach 1980 benchmark levels, a time before significant ozone layer depletion, by the middle of this century thanks to concerted international action to phase out ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

The recovery of the ozone layer would however come sooner if we were to fast-track the elimination of the production of the ODS, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and manage other ODSs that remain in equipment, building walls and chemical stockpiles.

Preventing these emissions can speed up the recovery of the ozone layer by about 11 years.

“Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2014″ is the quadrennial report of the Scientific Assessment Panel (SAP) of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

A summary document of the report, the “Assessment for Decision Makers”, was published in September 2014 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The full report which was compiled by nearly 300 scientists from 36 countries was released in December last year and provides more details on the previously released findings.

Although over 2.2 million metric tonnes of ODSs have been phased out over time by the nations of the world under the provisions of the Montreal Protocol, 640 000 metric tonnes of HCFCs remain to be phased out.

The assessment report projects that atmospheric ODS amounts will continue to decline through the 21st century, assuming continued compliance with the Montreal Protocol.

Since ODSs are also potent global warming gases, the Protocol has significantly contributed to climate change mitigation, having averted more than 135 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.