| Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol | |
|---|---|
 _ Ratified, accepted or approved _ Covered by European Union's ratification but has not ratified independently | |
| Type | Environmental protection agreement |
| Context | Montreal Protocol (1985) |
| Signed | October 15, 2016[1] |
| Location | Kigali, Rwanda |
| Effective | January 1, 2019 |
| Parties | 160[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]
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 October 31, 2024[update], 160 states[2] and the European Union[7] have ratified the Kigali Amendment.
- ^ "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...
- ^ a b "Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer". United Nations Treaty Collective. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Thirty years on, what is the Montreal Protocol doing to protect the ozone?". United Nations Environment Programme. November 15, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Dillon, Jeremy (September 20, 2022). "Kigali climate treaty clears Senate hurdle". E&E News. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "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.