(BBC) Human action to save the ozone layer has worked as hoped, and it may recover in just decades, the UN says.
An international agreement in 1987 to stop using the harmful chemicals that were damaging the layer has been successful, the major assessment says.
The ozone layer is a thin part of the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
When it is depleted, this radiation can reach the surface – causing potential harm to humans and other living things.
Ultraviolet rays can damage DNA and cause sunburn, increasing the long-term risk of problems such as skin cancer.
The ozone layer began depleting in the 1970s.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were commonly found in spray cans, fridges, foam insulation and air conditioners, were blamed for eating away at the ozone layer.