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)
Parties163 [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 November 4,2024, 163 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 waves 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 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]

Reception to the amendment

Environmentalist website TreeHugger urged then-President of the United States Donald Trump to ask the United States Senate to ratify the amendment. [21]

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 Cape Verde.svg  Cabo Verde 28 October 2020Ratification
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 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 Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Côte d'Ivoire 29 November 2017Acceptance
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 the Vatican City - 2001 version.svg  Holy See 17 June 2020Ratification
Flag of Honduras.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 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 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.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  Sao Tome and Principe 4 October 2019Ratification
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 Lucia.svg  St. Lucia 2 November 2021Ratification
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  St. 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.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  Türkiye 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 of America 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  Viet Nam 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.

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  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.
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