In the stratosphere, an ozone-rich layer called the Ozone layer exists. The formation of the ozone hole is directly linked to the stratosphere’s temperature. Once temperatures drop below -78°C, polar stratospheric clouds tend to form, exacerbating ozone depletion over both of the Earth’s hemispheres.
The Ozone layer acts like sunscreen for all living organisms, shielding the Earth’s surface from most of the sun’s UV light. Its depletion could cause serious damage for humans, animals, plants and materials. Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) calculates these destructive effectives over a time horizon of 100 years.