The Montreal Protocol has undergone some amendments in the past. We will look at The Kigali Amendment in this article. Specifically, the Kigali Amendment focusses on phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — harmful greenhouse gases used in refridgerating and air-conditioning. HFCs are known to accelerate global warming.
The amendment is part of the larger ‘Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer’ framework — referred to the Montreal Protocol in short. While HFCs don’t harm the ozone layer, they have a high global warming potential (GWP) of 12 to 14,000.
The Kigali Amendment was signed in October 2016 at the Rwandan capital, from where it gets its name. The amendment intends to reduce the emission of upto 105 mn tonnes of CO2 by 2100. This will contribute towards reducing the temperature by 0.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The targets in the Kigali Agreement have been differentiated for high- and low-income countries – much like the Montreal protocol. For example, while the US is required to meet the target by 2036, India will have to meet the target by 2047.
Combined with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Kigali Amendment is a critical pact towards curbing global warming.
