International treaty signed in 1987 to save ozone layer has prevented millions of cancer cases, study says

According to new research, an international agreement to protect the ozone layer signed more than 30 years ago has already prevented millions of cases of skin cancer.

In 1987, a landmark agreement was signed in Montreal — a vow by 198 nations to cease or curtail the use of chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons and other substances known to destroy the ozone layer.

Thanks to the treaty, the ozone layer is projected to recover by around 2050, according to the United Nations, and from 1990 to 2010, the protocol is estimated to have cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 135 gigatons of C02.

But the Montreal Protocol has saved our skins in more ways than one, according to a new study published in August in the journal ACS Earth Space Chem.

The ozone layer acts as a shield around the planet, keeping harmful levels of ultraviolet light at bay. Ultraviolet radiation can harm our eyes as well as promote the development of skin cancer and immunological disorders.