After many many years of negotiations the Montreal Protocol now has its 5th Amendment called the Kigali Amendment which was agreed by parties at the 28th Meeting of the Parties in Kigali Rwanda on October 15, 2016.
This Amendment reaffirms global commitment to the
protection of the ozone layer as well as consideration for effects of ozone
depleting alternatives on the climate through the phase down the powerful
climate-warming pollutants called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal
Protocol. The HFC Amendment is seen as crucial as it is expected to prevent up
to 0.5°C of global temperature increase, according to the United Nations Environment
Programme. HFCs are potent and fast-growing greenhouse gases, with a yearly
rise of nearly 10 percent. This rapid growth is mainly caused by rising demand
for cooling systems, particularly in developing countries. The Global Warming
Potential of HFCs is hundreds to thousands of times higher than CO2. The HFC Amendment
establishes timetables for all developed and developing countries to freeze and
then reduce their production and use of HFCs, chemicals used in air conditioning,
refrigeration, insulating foams, and other applications. Developed countries
will start to phase down HFCs by 2019, and developing countries such as
Trinidad and Tobago will follow with a freeze of HFCs consumption levels in
2024.
For more information visit:
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=27086&ArticleID=36283&l=en
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