Is depletion of the ozone layer the principal cause of climate change?
No, ozone depletion itself is not the principal cause of climate change. However, because ozone is a greenhouse gas, ozone changes and climate change are linked in important ways. Stratospheric ozone depletion and increases in global tropospheric ozone that have occurred in recent decades both contribute to climate change. These contributions to climate change are significant but small compared with the total contribution from all other greenhouse gases. Ozone and climate change are indirectly linked because ozone-depleting gases, such as the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and halons, also contribute to climate change.
