WMO: Ozone hole could heal in the next 40 years

Good Morning,

The recovery of ozone hole can be considered one of the most successful accomplishments in the history of global environmental policy. In a recent World Meteorological Organization report, scientists stated that ozone hole could recover entirely in the next 40 years. 

The ozone hole is a region of the Earth's stratosphere where the ozone concentration is significantly lower than average. Since its discovery in the 1980s, the ozone hole has developed and expanded in size during the Antarctic spring (typically September to November), with the largest hole recorded in September 2000. 

The cause of the hole is primarily human-made chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances (ODS), which were widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and industrial processes.

In 1987, the international community reacted to ozone layer depletion with Montreal Protocol. With 197 parties committing, Montreal Protocol is considered the landmark multilateral environmental agreement regulating production and consumption. It has phased out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals and successfully improved the state of ozone layer over the decades.

According to the recent WMO report, if the world sticks to Montreal Protocol chemical production policies, the Ozone hole above Antarctica will recover by about 2066 and in the rest of the world by 2040. Montreal Protocol is considered to be the most successful international environmental treaty.

Let's jump into this week's major headlines.

EU's Carbon Allowance (ETS) price development

UK's Carbon Allowance (ETS) price development

The Guardian | Analysis: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest provider are worthless. An investigation by a non-profit investigative journalism organization found that more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by Verra, the biggest provider in the market, are worthless and could make global heating even worse. These ‘phantom carbon credits’ do not represent genuine carbon reduction, as the claimed emissions reductions have not occurred. Several internationally renowned companies, such as Gucci, Shell, and EasyJet, have used the Verra carbon offsets.

European Commission | The European Commission boosts action on pollinators – 'A New Deal for Pollinators' aims to tackle the alarming decline in wild pollinating insects in Europe.

Euronews | Brazil: President Lula accuses Bolsonaro of ‘genocide’ after gold mining causes Indigenous deaths. During Bolsanaro’s four years in government, the Yanomami people of the Amazon had their supposedly ‘protected’ territory ravaged by wildcat miners.

HS | Energy shortages increased food prices, driving hundreds of millions of Africans into a hunger crisis. The worst malnutrition occurs in areas such as Malawi, already vulnerable before the energy crisis.

The Guardian | US transition to electric cars threatens environmental havoc. The US’s transition to electric vehicles could require three times as much lithium as is currently produced for the entire global market. New research warns that unless the country's dependence on cars in towns and cities falls drastically, the transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining. This may also threaten the 1.5C global heating target.

HS | Finnish Meteorological Institute report: The effects of climate change do not pose a significant threat to the security of supply in Finland. However, extreme weather phenomena will put a strain on the security supply.

Reuters | Norway's Supreme Court hears Arctic snow crab case affecting oil and minerals. At stake is whether EU vessels have the right to catch snow crab, whose meat is considered a delicacy by gourmets in Japan and South Korea, in the same way than Norwegian vessels do.

Yle | Yle report: Finnish parties disagree on protecting the state forests. The Greens, SDP, and The National Coalition party support increasing state forest conservation, while the Centre party with the Finns Party oppose it.

WWF | More frequent rainfalls during winter put the Baltic sea at risk of eutrophication. Natural drainage systems could alleviate nutrient load in the Baltic Sea and inland waters.

STT | Three new nature conservation sites founded in the city of Espoo. 

STT | Saimaa Canoeing was voted the most sustainable travel company at the travel fair. 

Reuters | Germany publishes plans to hit 30 GW offshore wind target in 2030. Offshore wind turbines in the open sea have higher full-load hours than land-based ones, which appeals to investors and makes the renewable energy source suitable to help Germany hit carbon reduction goals as it withdraws from coal, gas and oil in coming years.

Aljazeera | US allocates $930m for forest thinning in fire-stricken western states. The funds will help finance projects to clear trees and excessive underbrush in fire-prone areas of 10 western states, where blazes have consumed nearly 300,000 square kilometres and burned about 80,000 structures over the last decade.

Reuters | Portugal agrees to swap Cape Verde's debt for environmental investment. Such "debt-for-nature" swap deals are emerging in other countries as well, and are part of attempts to resolve a dilemma faced by world leaders on how and who will foot the bill for actions taken to reduce the impact of climate change.

STT | Danske Bank to announce its carbon footprint, an extensive climate program in alignment with Paris Climate Agreement.

STT | The Finnish Environment Institute undergoes an organizational reform with sustainability transitions as the institute's new vision

Modern temperatures in central–north Greenland warmest in past millennium. By drilling into the ice sheet and taking ice and snow samples, the researchers at the University of Copenhagen determined the temperatures in northern and central Greenland from years 1000 to 2021. The results show that the warming between 2000 and 2011 almost certainly exceeds the ranges of pre-industrial temperatures. In the 2000s, temperatures on average were 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than in the 20th century. The melting of the Greenland ice sheet causes sea levels to rise, threatening to submerge the homes of millions of people living along the coast in the upcoming decades. The Greenland ice sheet melting is the most significant factor causing sea-level rise. (Nature)

Scientists unveil least costly carbon capture system to date. The need for technology that can capture, remove and repurpose carbon dioxide grows stronger with every CO2 molecule that reaches Earth's atmosphere. To meet that need, scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have cleared a new milestone in their efforts to make carbon capture more affordable and widespread. They have created a new system that efficiently captures CO2 – the least costly to date – and converts it into one of the world's most widely used chemicals: methanol. (Science Daily)

Kelp farms could help reduce coastal marine pollution. The water-filtering abilities of farmed kelp could help reduce marine pollution in coastal areas, according to a new study. The paper analyzed carbon and nitrogen levels at two mixed-species kelp farms in southcentral and southeast Alaska during the 2020-21 growing season. Tissue and seawater samples showed that seaweed species may have different capabilities to remove nutrients from their surroundings. (Science Daily)

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Picture of the week: 

Computer models predict that global average ozone will return to levels above 300 Dobson Units by 2064 (the reference future, blue line). In contrast, sustained increases in the level of CFCs and other ozone-destroying chemicals would have reduced global ozone below 100 Dobson Units (world avoided, red line).