In Which Country the Recent International Agreement on Phasing Out Hydrofluorocarbons Was Signed

As a result of this change, all countries will gradually reduce HFCs by more than 80% over the next 30 years and replace them with more environmentally friendly alternatives. A certain group of developed countries will begin to disappear gradually in 2019. Several developing countries will freeze HFC consumption in 2024, followed by other countries in 2028. The phase-down schedule is described in detail here. The amendment also includes agreements on HFC destruction technologies, data reporting requirements and provisions for capacity building in developing countries. [UNEP press release] While the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has succeeded in phasing out ozone-depleting substances and putting the ozone layer on a path to full recovery, it has led to a shift to hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Like the ODS they replaced, HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases that can be hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) in contributing to climate change. Although they represent only a small fraction of the current total of all greenhouse gases, their emissions are expected to increase nearly twentyfold over the next few decades, largely due to the increased demand for refrigeration and air conditioning systems, especially in developing countries. If HFC growth continues on the current path, the increase in HFC emissions is expected to offset much of the climate benefits of phasing out ODS. These agreements suggest that tackling climate change on a sectoral basis is an effective approach.

And many researchers consider the Montreal Protocol to be the most effective climate change agreement of all time, because the ozone-depleting chemicals it phased out had significant global warming potential. The ozone layer filters out harmful ultraviolet rays associated with an increased prevalence of skin cancer and cataracts, reduced agricultural productivity and disruption of marine ecosystems. The United States ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1988 and joined four subsequent amendments. The United States has been a leader throughout the protocol`s existence and has taken strong domestic steps to phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. With the full implementation of the Montreal Protocol, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans born between 1890 and 2100 should avoid 443 million cases of skin cancer, about 2.3 million deaths from skin cancer and more than 63 million cases of cataracts, with even greater benefits worldwide. The Scientific Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol believes that with the implementation of the Montreal Protocol, we can expect an almost complete recovery of the ozone layer by the middle of the 21st century. As part of the Kigali Amendment, the Montreal Protocol will help reduce HFCs without changing their status in the UN climate regime.

This turned out to be a controversial issue, as China, India and Brazil initially preferred to conduct discussions on HFCs under the UN climate regime, which explicitly recognizes that developed and developing countries have different responsibilities in mitigating climate change. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is an international agreement to progressively reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). It is a legally binding agreement that aims to create rights and obligations under international law. [1] Given the background of the Montreal Protocol, there are good reasons to be optimistic about the Kigali Amendment. The agreement consolidates a sector-wide approach taken by countries to mitigate climate change. Of course, much remains to be done, as fossil fuels remain the most important source of energy in developing and developed countries. But the sector-by-sector approach to climate action, coupled with the Paris Climate Agreement, appears to provide a framework for achieving real mitigation goals in the coming decades. The Kigali Amendment comes at a time when countries have signed a number of agreements to combat climate change. In December 2015, more than 190 countries adopted the Paris Climate Agreement, formalizing the goal of keeping global warming between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Historically, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been used in these applications, but the harmful effect of these gases on the ozone layer was discovered in the 1970s.

Paul J. Crutzen, Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995. [6] The Montreal Protocol, signed by many States in 1987 and entered into force in 1989, decided to phase out CFCs. The use of HFCs was later developed as a replacement. The Parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed on a phase-down of HFCs at their 28th Meeting of the Parties on 15 October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda. Countries agreed to include HFCs in the list of controlled substances and approved a timetable for their gradual reduction from 80 to 85% by the end of the 2040s. The first reductions by industrialized countries are expected in 2019. Developing countries will follow with a freeze on HFC consumption in 2024 and 2028 for some countries. The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol was established in 1991 in accordance with Article 10 of the Treaty. The objective of the Fund is to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries that are Parties to the Montreal Protocol and whose annual per capita consumption and production of ODS is less than 0.3 kg in order to comply with the Protocol`s control measures. The Treaty evolves over time in the light of new scientific, technical and economic developments and continues to be amended and adapted.

The Meeting of the Parties is the contract management body, with the technical assistance of an open working group, both of which meet annually. The Parties are assisted by the Ozone Secretariat, which is based at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya. Another group of substances, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), has been introduced as non-ozone-depleting alternatives to support the timely phase-out of CFCs and HCFCs. HFCs are now widely used in air conditioners, refrigerators, aerosols, foams and other products. Although these chemicals do not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, some of them have high GWP of 12 to 14,000. Total HFC emissions are growing at a rate of 8% per year and annual emissions are expected to reach 7-19% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. The uncontrolled growth of HFC emissions therefore calls into question efforts to keep the increase in global temperature at 2°C or below 2°C during this century. There is an urgent need for action in HFCs to protect the climate system. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the historic multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals called ozone-depleting substances (ODS). When released into the atmosphere, these chemicals damage the stratospheric ozone layer, the Earth`s protective shield that protects humans and the environment from the sun`s harmful ultraviolet radiation.

The Protocol, adopted on 15 September 1987, is still the only UN treaty ever ratified in every country in the world – in the 198 UN member states. Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol establishes separate standards for developing and non-developing countries. [9] Whether or not a country was classified as a developing country depended on the individual economic conditions at the time of the agreement or on a specific request. [10] As the Protocol was created in the 1980s and the economic situation of countries has changed, the Kigali Amendment created three updated groups for compliance with the additional conditions. [11] The Montreal Protocol is the international convention for the protection of the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of many ozone-depleting substances, many of which are also potent greenhouse gases, and is considered by many to be the most successful environmental agreement in history. .