September 16 will be celebrated globally as International Ozone Day. The theme for this year’s celebrations is, “Ozone layer protection: governance and compliance at their best”, and highlights the role of good governance in enabling successful implementation and compliance with the Montreal Protocol.

September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

This designation was made on December 19 1994, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The Montreal Protocol is an environmentally legally binding agreement to reduce ozone depleting substances (ODS) and protect the ozone layer. It is ratified by over 192 countries, and is recognized around the world as the most effective environmental agreement ever implemented. At the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 approximately 1.8 million tonnes of controlled ODS were being produced.