Kigali Amendment

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Kigali Amendment
Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol ratification map.svg
_ Ratified, accepted or approved
_ Covered by European Union's ratification but has not ratified independently
TypeEnvironmental protection agreement
Context Montreal Protocol (1985)
SignedOctober 15, 2016 (2016-10-15) [1]
Location Kigali, Rwanda
EffectiveJanuary 1, 2019 (2019-01-01)
Parties166 [2]

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is an international agreement to gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). It is a legally binding agreement designed to create rights and obligations in international law. [3]

Contents

The Montreal Protocol was originally created to preserve and restore the ozone layer; participating countries agreed to phase out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), gases that had been causing ozone depletion. HFCs do not contain chlorine, so they do not cause ozone depletion, and therefore have been replacing CFCs under the Protocol. [4] However, HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, [5] so this amendment adds HFCs to the list of chemicals that countries promise to phase down. [6]

As of September 17,2025, 165 states [2] and the European Union [7] have ratified the Kigali Amendment.

The concentration of HFCs in the atmosphere at weather stations around the world. HFC-134a mm.png
The concentration of HFCs in the atmosphere at weather stations around the world.

Background

Many industrial products, including refrigerants [8] and other cooling services, use HFCs. [9]

Originally, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were used in these applications, but the deleterious effect of these gases on the ozone layer was revealed in 1974 by Paul J. Crutzen, Mario Molina, and F. Sherwood Rowland. [10] The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 by the 20 major CFC producers and came into effect in 1989; since 1987, all 197 member states of the United Nations, among others, have ratified the Protocol. HFCs have since largely replaced CFCs. [11]

An HFC refrigerant. R134a container.png
An HFC refrigerant.

Although HFCs are harmless to the ozone layer, they are potent greenhouse gases. [12] While their lifespan in the atmosphere is short (10 to 20 years) relative to carbon dioxide (CO2), HFCs filter infrared radiation much more powerfully. HFCs are therefore thousands of times more heat-trapping than CO2, [13] with a 100 year global warming potential (GWP) between 12 on the low end and 14,800 on the high end. [14] For comparison, the GWP of carbon dioxide is 1. Eliminating emissions of these gases could significantly lower the effects of global warming and avoid a full 0.5 degree Celsius of warming above preindustrial levels by the end of the century. [15]

Details of the amendment

Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol created separate standards for developing countries and non-developing. [16] Whether a country was categorized as developing or non-developing depended on individual economic conditions at the time of the agreement or pending special request. [17] Because the Protocol was created in the 1980s and countries economic situations have changed, the Kigali Amendment created three updated groups for compliance with the additional terms. [18]

The first group, which includes the "old" industrialized countries, is committed to reducing the use of HFCs by 45% by 2024 and by 85% by 2036, compared to their use between 2011 and 2013. A second group, which includes China, India and Brazil, is committed to reducing its consumption by 80% by 2045. Finally, this deadline is extended to 2047 for the rest of the countries, including India and a number of countries in the Middle East, [19] which are large consumers of air conditioning.

In addition, parties that experience monthly average temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F) for at least two months per year, over a period of 10 consecutive years, may request a waiver. [20] [a] Although Denmark approved the amendment, Greenland is excluded.

Parties

CountryDateType of agreement
Flag of Albania.svg Albania 18 January 2019Ratification
Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra 23 January 2019Acceptance
Flag of Angola.svg Angola 16 November 2020Ratification
Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 22 November 2019Ratification
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 2 May 2019Acceptance
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 27 October 2017Acceptance
Flag of Austria.svg Austria 27 September 2018Ratification
Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas 30 May 2023Ratification
Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain 1 July 2024Ratification
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh 8 June 2020Ratification
Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados 19 April 2018Ratification
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus 3 November 2022Ratification
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 4 June 2018Ratification
Flag of Belize.svg Belize 3 October 2023Approval
Flag of Benin.svg Benin 19 March 2018Ratification
Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan 27 September 2019Ratification
Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia 9 October 2020Ratification
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina 26 May 2021Ratification
Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana 19 September 2020Acceptance
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 19 October 2022Acceptance
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 1 May 2018Ratification
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 26 July 2018Ratification
Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi 26 March 2021Ratification
Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia 8 April 2021Acceptance
Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 24 August 2021Ratification
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 3 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde 28 October 2020Ratification
Flag of Chad.svg Chad 26 March 2019Ratification
Flag of Chile.svg Chile 19 September 2017Ratification
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China 17 June 2021Acceptance
Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 25 February 2021Ratification
Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros 16 November 2017Ratification
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo 16 June 2022Ratification
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands 22 August 2019Acceptance
Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica 23 May 2018Ratification
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 6 December 2018Ratification
Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba 20 June 2019Ratification
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 22 July 2019Ratification
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 27 September 2018Acceptance
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 6 December 2018Approval
Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti 8 March 2024Ratification
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic 14 April 2021Acceptance
Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 22 January 2018Ratification
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 22 August 2023Ratification
Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador 13 September 2021Acceptance
Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea 7 February 2023Ratification
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 27 September 2018Ratification
Flag of Eswatini.svg Eswatini 24 November 2020Acceptance
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia 5 July 2019Ratification
Flag of Europe.svg European Union 27 September 2018Approval
Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji 16 June 2020Ratification
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 14 November 2017Acceptance
Flag of France.svg France 29 March 2018Approval
Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon 28 February 2018Acceptance
Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia 5 May 2021Ratification
Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia 11 July 2023Acceptance
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 14 November 2017Acceptance
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 2 August 2019Ratification
Flag of Greece.svg Greece 5 October 2018Ratification
Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada 29 May 2018Ratification
Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala 11 January 2024Ratification
Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea 5 December 2019Ratification
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau 22 October 2018Ratification
Flag of Vatican City (2023-present).svg Holy See 17 June 2020Ratification
Flag of Honduras (2022-).svg Honduras 28 January 2019Ratification
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 14 September 2018Approval
Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland 25 January 2021Acceptance
Flag of India.svg India 27 September 2021Ratification
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 14 December 2022Ratification
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland 12 March 2018Ratification
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 25 May 2022Ratification
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 29 November 2017Acceptance
Flag of Japan.svg Japan 18 December 2018Acceptance
Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan 16 October 2019Ratification
Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 22 September 2023Acceptance
Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati 26 October 2018Ratification
Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait 4 November 2024Approval
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan 8 September 2020Ratification
Flag of Laos.svg Laos 16 November 2017Acceptance
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 17 August 2018Ratification
Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon 5 February 2020Ratification
Flag of Lesotho.svg Lesotho 7 October 2019Ratification
Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia 12 July 2020Ratification
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein 16 September 2020Ratification
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 24 July 2018Ratification
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg 16 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi 21 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia 21 October 2020Ratification
Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives 13 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Mali.svg Mali 31 March 2017Acceptance
Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands 15 May 2017Ratification
Flag of Mauritius.svg Mauritius 1 October 2019Ratification
Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 25 September 2018Acceptance
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Micronesia 12 May 2017Ratification
Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova 22 September 2023Acceptance
Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia 27 July 2022Ratification
Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro 23 April 2019Ratification
Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco 22 April 2022Ratification
Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique 16 January 2020Ratification
Flag of Namibia.svg Namibia 16 May 2019Acceptance
Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru 3 November 2022Ratification
Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal 6 August 2025Ratification
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 8 February 2018Acceptance
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 3 October 2019Ratification
Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua 30 September 2020Ratification
Flag of Niger.svg Niger 29 August 2018Ratification
Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria 20 December 2018Ratification
Flag of Niue.svg Niue 24 April 2018Ratification
Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea 21 September 2017Ratification
Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia 12 March 2020Ratification
Flag of Norway.svg Norway 6 September 2017Ratification
Flag of Oman.svg Oman 8 November 2024Ratification
Flag of Palau.svg Palau 29 August 2017Ratification
Flag of Panama.svg Panama 28 September 2018Ratification
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea 12 November 2024Ratification
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay 1 November 2018Acceptance
Flag of Peru.svg Peru 7 August 2019Ratification
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines 3 November 2022Ratification
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 7 January 2019Ratification
Flag of Portugal (official).svg Portugal 17 July 2018Approval
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 1 July 2020Acceptance
Flag of Russia.svg Russia 3 October 2020Acceptance
Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda 23 May 2017Ratification
Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa 23 March 2018Ratification
Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino 20 October 2020Acceptance
Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe 4 October 2019Ratification
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia 10 September 2025Acceptance
Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal 31 August 2018Ratification
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia 8 October 2021Ratification
Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles 20 August 2019Acceptance
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone 15 June 2020Ratification
Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore 1 June 2022Ratification
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 16 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia 7 December 2018Ratification
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands 23 May 2022Ratification
Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia 27 November 2019Ratification
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 1 August 2019Ratification
Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 19 January 2023Ratification
Flag of Spain.svg Spain 20 January 2022Ratification
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 28 September 2018Ratification
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis 29 August 2025Acceptance
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia 2 November 2021Ratification
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7 November 2022Ratification
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 17 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 7 November 2018Ratification
Flag of Syria (2025-).svg Syria 5 April 2021Ratification
Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan 29 June 2022Ratification
Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania 25 March 2022Ratification
Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 3 April 2024Ratification
Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 8 March 2018Acceptance
Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga 17 September 2018Ratification
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago 17 November 2017Ratification
Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia 27 August 2021Ratification
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey 10 November 2021Ratification
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan 31 August 2020Ratification
Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu 21 September 2017Ratification
Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda 21 June 2018Ratification
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates 19 April 2024Acceptance
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom 14 November 2017Ratification
Flag of the United States.svg United States 31 October 2022Ratification
Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay 12 September 2018Ratification
Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu 20 April 2018Ratification
Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 5 December 2022Ratification
Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam 27 September 2019Approval
Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 15 March 2021Ratification
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Zimbabwe 18 October 2022Acceptance

Notes

  1. These countries are: Algeria, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates.

References

  1. "The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer". United States Department of State . December 9, 2022. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022. On October 15, 2016, Parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali Amendment...
  2. 1 2 "Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer". United Nations Treaty Collective. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  3. "Briefing Note on Ratification of the Kigali Amendment" (PDF). United Nations Environment Programme Ozone Secretariat. February 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2019. The Amendment is not legally binding on a party until it enters into force for that party.
  4. "Thirty years on, what is the Montreal Protocol doing to protect the ozone?". United Nations Environment Programme . November 15, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  5. "The Montreal Protocol evolves to fight climate change". United Nations Industrial Development Organization . January 10, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  6. Dillon, Jeremy (September 20, 2022). "Kigali climate treaty clears Senate hurdle". E&E News . Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  7. "Kigali Amendment hits milestone 100th ratification, boosting climate action". United Nations Environment Programme . July 14, 2020. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  8. Chime, Vivian (September 16, 2022). "FG unveils 'cooling action plan' to reduce emissions from refrigerants". TheCable . Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  9. Sandefur, Jason (July 17, 2020). "UN Agency Urges Quick Shift to Environmentally Friendly Cooling". Courthouse News Service . Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  10. Roan, Shari (March 12, 2012). "F. Sherwood Rowland dies at 84; UC Irvine professor won Nobel Prize". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  11. McGrath, Matt (October 15, 2016). "Climate change: 'Monumental' deal to cut HFCs, fastest growing greenhouse gases". BBC News . Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  12. Benshoff, Laura (September 20, 2022). "The U.S. ratifies treaty to phase down HFCs, gases trapping 1,000x more heat than CO2". Boise State Public Radio . Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  13. Denning, Scott (September 22, 2022). "US Senate ratifies treaty to phase down climate-warming HFCs from refrigerators and air conditioners – but what will replace them this time?". The Conversation . Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  14. Cariaso, Bella (September 17, 2022). "PH begins 3rd stage to phase out ODS". The Manila Times . Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  15. Velders GJ, Fahey DW, Daniel JS, McFarland M, Andersen SO (July 2009). "The large contribution of projected HFC emissions to future climate forcing". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106 (27): 10949–54. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10610949V. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0902817106 . PMC   2700150 . PMID   19549868.
  16. Montreal Protocol, Article 5
  17. "Handbook for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" (PDF). p. 735.
  18. Section 5.8, Article 1. "Handbook for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" (PDF). p.920-922
  19. "The decision and its annex state that Bahrain, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will use a baseline averaging their calculated levels of HFC consumption for the years 2024, 2025, and 2026, plus 65% of their baseline consumption of HCFCs."  Earth Negotiations Bulletin (PDF). p10.
  20. "Decision XXVIII/2: Decision related to the amendment phasing down hydrofluorocarbons". Appendix II: List of countries operating under the high-ambient-temperature exemption.