Kigali Amendment

A 2016 amendment to the Montreal Protocol that phases down hydrofluorocarbons, potent greenhouse gases used chiefly in refrigeration and air conditioning.

Montreal Protocol: A 1987 international treaty that controls production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. The Kigali Amendment adds HFC controls to this treaty’s existing framework.
Global warming potential: A measure comparing the heat trapped by a greenhouse gas with that trapped by carbon dioxide over a specified period. HFCs have high global warming potentials, making leakage and replacement choices climatically significant.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons: Synthetic compounds used as transitional replacements for chlorofluorocarbons that deplete ozone and also warm the climate. Their phaseout helped drive adoption of HFCs, creating the climate issue Kigali addressed.
Paris Agreement: A 2015 climate treaty in which countries submit and strengthen nationally determined emissions-reduction commitments. Unlike Paris’s economy-wide pledges, Kigali sets binding controls on a defined group of chemicals.
Hydrofluorocarbons: Synthetic fluorinated compounds used mainly as refrigerants and, in some products, foam-blowing agents. These compounds are the substances the amendment requires countries to phase down.
Refrigerant transition: The shift from one generation of refrigerants to another as safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements change. The phasedown accelerates replacement of high-impact HFCs in cooling equipment.
Chlorofluorocarbons: Synthetic chemicals once widely used in refrigeration and aerosols that destroy stratospheric ozone. Their control under the Montreal Protocol shaped the succession of replacement refrigerants.
Kyoto Protocol: A climate treaty that set binding emissions targets for many developed countries during its first commitment period. Kigali regulates HFC production and consumption through Montreal Protocol schedules rather than general emissions targets.
Kigali Amendment phasedown schedules: Country-specific timetables that cap and progressively reduce hydrofluorocarbon consumption under the amendment. Different timetables reflect parties’ distinct circumstances and development needs.
Hydrofluoroolefins: Unsaturated fluorinated compounds used as refrigerants and blowing agents, often with lower global warming potential than HFCs. Some HFC replacements belong to this class, though their suitability varies by use.

Linked from 11 pages