Athens Statement

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol for the protection of the ozone layer, scientists have gathered at the Academy of Athens today, September 26, 2007. They noted that the success of the Montreal Protocol is largely based on scientific progress made over the last decades. A world of extreme high chlorine, low ozone, and high UV has presently been avoided. Continued adherence to the Montreal Protocol will assure that this remains the case in the future.

It is perhaps one of the most illustrious examples of a successful global collaboration between scientific, industrial, and environmental organizations and policy makers. Control of ozone-depleting substances as imposed by the Montreal Protocol is not the only factor that influences the variability of ozone and of harmful solar UV radiation. Aerosols, volcanic eruptions, and climate change also influence the expected recovery of the ozone layer from the effects of halocarbons.