Tomorrow, 16 September, we join in the celebration of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. A date established by the UN on 16 September 1994 to commemorate the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. Under the slogan “Montreal Protocol: repairing the ozone layer and reducing climate change”, the aim of this day is to protect and save the ozone layer which is being destroyed by global war.
The ozone layer is a fragile strip of gas that protects the Earth from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays, thus helping to preserve life on the planet. The use of certain chemicals over the years had damaged the layer, endangering the existence of humans and other living things on the planet. The Montreal Protocol enabled the elimination and reduction of the use of ozone-depleting substances, helping not only to protect the ozone layer for current and future generations, but also to improve the performance of efforts to address climate change. These efforts have also protected human health and ecosystems by reducing ultraviolet radiation from the sun reaching the Earth.
Today, the biocidal active substances used in Europe are mostly chemical compounds. The problems caused by the excessive use of pesticides remain a concern for the sustainability of our environment and global stability. In fact, their use worldwide has increased by 50% in the last 30 years, and 2.5 million tonnes of commercial pesticides are now applied annually. Fumigant biocides have been a common method of control for decades in the fields of Public Health, Food Hygiene and Animal Health. Many chemicals used today contain gases that damage air and environmental quality and destroy ozone molecules in the atmosphere.
The LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project aims to protect the environment by developing natural fumigants based on active substances extracted from plant extracts to control pests in greenhouses. These fumigant biopesticides proposed by LIFE NextFUMIGREEN are less toxic than conventional pesticides, and their use will mitigate adverse effects on the environment and human health. In fact, compared to the use of chemical pesticides, LIFE NextFUMIGREEN’s natural fumigants could reduce the impact on carbon footprint by 80% and groundwater pollution by 70%.
This 16 September, more than ever, we are calling for the importance of promoting a sustainable environment and adopting practices that help address the challenges of climate change.
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