Global scientific experts in climate change will meet at Lammi Biological Station, 13th-22nd September, to update their latest assessment of the consequences of changes in Earth’s climate interacting with ozone depletion. For the first time, Finland will be the venue for eight days of intense discussions and presentations of the latest research on climate change, UV radiation, and ozone depletion, with the objective of reporting to the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on the climatic response to our actions aimed at protecting the ozone layer.
Large year-to-year variations in seasonal weather interact with ozone depletion over the Poles with consequences for both ultraviolet (UV) radiation and climate change. Finland, as one of the most northerly countries in the world, is particularly vulnerable to changes in snow cover, sea ice, and permafrost thaw, as well as seasonal shifts in weather patterns.
By assessing the environmental effects of UV radiation and communicating these to policymakers, this Panel’s work informs the decisions made by politicians when imposing controls on damaging pollutants such as refrigerants and aerosols. The work of the Panel supports the restrictions implemented in the 1987 Montreal Protocol to halt our destruction of stratospheric ozone. In doing so, the Panel plays a vital role in safeguarding life on Earth.
Without the actions of the Montreal Protocol, Finland would have been exposed to large and abrupt swings in solar UV-B radiation during springtime. Biological protection from UV-B radiation is low at the end of winter, so sudden increases could be detrimental to human health, causing skin cancers and eye disease, as well as damaging other organisms and eventually threatening crop production and infrastructure.
As the consequences of climate change become increasingly threatening, the tasks of the Panel have broadened to assess how extreme climatic events, such as extensive wildfires and droughts, will interact with ozone depletion. The Panel also considers future scenarios of how mitigation of climate change, including proposed climate interventions, might affect global ecosystem functioning. By creating projections of what might happen should we adopt different pathways to combat climate change, we can scientifically model the potential outcomes for humanity and the biosphere.
The meeting will incorporate a one-day workshop on World Ozone Day, 16th September 2024, showcasing Finnish research on climate change and ozone depletion. A variety of scientists will present their findings to the Panel, while key research by new Panel Members will also be presented. Amongst others, speakers from the Finnish Meteorological Institute, including Petteri Taalas (Director of FMI & former Head of the WMO), will inform the Panel on global UV monitoring. Researchers from the University of Helsinki will also present prominent environmental research of relevance to the Panel.
Representatives of the Panel will visit Lammi High School to discuss environmental effects of climate and UV radiation with local school children. The Panel will additionally visit the Hyytiälä atmospheric and environmental monitoring station; and the old-growth forest at Evo to see first-hand how climate change is affecting this unique natural ecosystem.