September 17, 2011 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community today not to replace ozone-depleting gases that are now being phased out with highly potent global warming substitutes. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community today not to replace ozone-depleting gases that are now being phased out with highly potent global warming substitutes. “Only by limiting global climate change can we hope to achieve sustainable development for all,” he said in a message marking the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which protects the Earth’s population from harmful ultra-violet radiation that can cause tens of millions of additional cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts.