Dr Paul A. Newman & NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center won in the Science and Innovation category, for outstanding contributions to the Montreal Protocol – which has phased out 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances and led to the healing of the ozone layer.

“Ozone is our unseen natural sunscreen,” said Dr. Newman, Chief Scientist of Atmospheric Sciences. “It’s crucial to understand and carefully watch this vital Earth resource."

The first satellite instrument to measure ozone was put into space by the Goddard center in 1970, and the first Antarctic ozone hole pictures were made using Goddard satellite data in 1985. Since the early 90s, the center has been instrumental in leading updates to the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, looking at how policies impact the atmosphere and setting a new high-water mark for international scientific cooperation.

The ozone layer is now healing and will return to 1980 levels by mid-century. As a result, up to 2 million cases of skin cancer may be prevented each year by 2030. The Kigali Amendment to the protocol, signed in 2016, is now targeting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are climate-warming gases with significant global-warming potential. Action in this area can help avoid up to 0.5° Celsius in global warming by the end of the century.