Wikipedia

Kigali Amendment

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]

Kigali Amendment
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol
_ Ratified, accepted or approved
TypeEnvironmental protection agreement
ContextMontreal Protocol (1985)
SignedOctober 15, 2016 (2016-10-15)[1]
LocationKigali, Rwanda
EffectiveJanuary 1, 2019 (2019-01-01)
Parties172[2]

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 participating countries promise to phase down.[6]

As of 27 March 2025, 171 states[2] and the European Union[7] have ratified the Kigali Amendment.

The concentration of HFCs in the atmosphere at weather stations around the world.

Background

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Many industrial products, including refrigerants[8] and other cooling services, use HFCs.[9]

Originally, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were used in these applications, but the deleterious effect of these gases on the ozone layer was revealed in 1974 by Paul J. Crutzen, Mario Molina, and F. Sherwood Rowland.[10] The Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987 by the 20 major CFC producers and came into effect in 1989; since 1987, all 197 member states of the United Nations, among others, have ratified the Protocol. HFCs have since largely replaced CFCs.[11]

An HFC refrigerant.

Although HFCs are harmless to the ozone layer, they are potent greenhouse gases.[12] While their lifespan in the atmosphere is short (10 to 20 years) relative to carbon dioxide (CO2), HFCs filter infrared radiation much more powerfully. HFCs are therefore thousands of times more heat-trapping than CO2,[13] with a 100 year global warming potential (GWP) between 12 on the low end and 14,800 on the high end.[14] For comparison, the GWP of carbon dioxide is 1. Eliminating emissions of these gases could significantly lower the effects of global warming by avoiding more than 80 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions by 2050, and avoid a full 0.5 degree Celsius of warming above preindustrial levels by the end of the century.[15]

Details of the amendment

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Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol created separate standards for developing countries and non-developing.[16] Whether a country was categorized as developing or non-developing depended on individual economic conditions at the time of the agreement or pending special request.[17] Because the Protocol was created in the 1980s and countries economic situations have changed, the Kigali Amendment created three updated groups for compliance with the additional terms.[18]

The first group, comprising non-Article 5 (developed) countries, is committed to reducing HFC consumption to 15% of their baseline by 2036. This baseline is calculated as the average HFC consumption between 2011–2013, plus a 'buffer' of 15% of the party's HCFC baseline to account for the ongoing transition from ozone-depleting substances.[19] A second group, including China and Brazil (Article 5 Group 1), will reduce consumption to 20% of their baseline by 2045. Their baseline includes a larger 65% HCFC component, reflecting a later transition timeline.[GC] Finally, a third group of high-ambient-temperature countries, including India and Saudi Arabia, must reach the 20% reduction target by 2047. A second group, which includes China, India and Brazil, is committed to reducing its consumption by 80% by 2045. Finally, this deadline is extended to 2047 for the rest of the countries, including India and a number of countries in the Middle East,[20] which are large consumers of air conditioning.

In addition, parties that experience monthly average temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F) for at least two months per year, over a period of 10 consecutive years, may request a waiver.[21][a] Although Denmark approved the amendment, Greenland is excluded.

Parties

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CountryDateType of agreement
Albania18 January 2019Ratification[2]
Andorra23 January 2019Acceptance
Angola16 November 2020Ratification
Argentina22 November 2019Ratification
Armenia2 May 2019Acceptance
Australia27 October 2017Acceptance
Austria27 September 2018Ratification
Azerbaijan 24 November 2025 Ratification
Bahamas30 May 2023Ratification
Bahrain1 July 2024Ratification
Bangladesh8 June 2020Ratification
Barbados19 April 2018Ratification
Belarus3 November 2022Ratification
Belgium4 June 2018Ratification
Belize3 October 2023Approval
Benin19 March 2018Ratification
Bhutan27 September 2019Ratification
Bolivia9 October 2020Ratification
Bosnia and Herzegovina26 May 2021Ratification
Botswana19 September 2020Acceptance
Brazil19 October 2022Acceptance
Bulgaria1 May 2018Ratification
Burkina Faso26 July 2018Ratification
Burundi26 March 2021Ratification
Cambodia8 April 2021Acceptance
Cameroon24 August 2021Ratification
Canada3 November 2017Ratification
Central African Republic 15 October 2025 Approval
Cape Verde28 October 2020Ratification
Chad26 March 2019Ratification
Chile19 September 2017Ratification
China[nb 1]17 June 2021Acceptance
Colombia25 February 2021Ratification
Comoros16 November 2017Ratification
Congo16 June 2022Ratification
Cook Islands22 August 2019Acceptance
Costa Rica23 May 2018Ratification
Croatia6 December 2018Ratification
Cuba20 June 2019Ratification
Cyprus22 July 2019Ratification
Czech Republic27 September 2018Acceptance
Denmark[nb 2]6 December 2018Approval
Djibouti8 March 2024Ratification
Dominican Republic14 April 2021Acceptance
Ecuador22 January 2018Ratification
Egypt22 August 2023Ratification
El Salvador13 September 2021Acceptance
Eritrea7 February 2023Ratification
Estonia27 September 2018Ratification
Eswatini24 November 2020Acceptance
Ethiopia5 July 2019Ratification
European Union27 September 2018Approval
Fiji16 June 2020Ratification
Finland14 November 2017Acceptance
France29 March 2018Approval
Gabon28 February 2018Acceptance
Gambia5 May 2021Ratification
Georgia11 July 2023Acceptance
Germany14 November 2017Acceptance
Ghana2 August 2019Ratification
Greece5 October 2018Ratification
Grenada29 May 2018Ratification
Guatemala11 January 2024Ratification
Guinea5 December 2019Ratification
Guinea-Bissau22 October 2018Ratification
Holy See17 June 2020Ratification
Honduras28 January 2019Ratification
Hungary14 September 2018Approval
Iceland25 January 2021Acceptance
India27 September 2021Ratification
Indonesia14 December 2022Ratification
Ireland12 March 2018Ratification
Italy25 May 2022Ratification
Ivory Coast29 November 2017Acceptance
Japan18 December 2018Acceptance
Jordan16 October 2019Ratification
Kenya22 September 2023Acceptance
Kiribati26 October 2018Ratification
Kuwait4 November 2024Approval
Kyrgyzstan8 September 2020Ratification
Laos16 November 2017Acceptance
Latvia17 August 2018Ratification
Lebanon5 February 2020Ratification
Lesotho7 October 2019Ratification
Liberia12 July 2020Ratification
Liechtenstein16 September 2020Ratification
Lithuania24 July 2018Ratification
Luxembourg16 November 2017Ratification
Malawi21 November 2017Ratification
Malaysia21 October 2020Ratification
Maldives13 November 2017Ratification
Mali31 March 2017Acceptance
Malta 19 December 2025 Acceptance
Marshall Islands15 May 2017Ratification
Mauritania 11 November 2025 Ratification
Mauritius1 October 2019Ratification
Mexico25 September 2018Acceptance
Micronesia12 May 2017Ratification
Moldova22 September 2023Acceptance
Mongolia27 July 2022Ratification
Montenegro23 April 2019Ratification
Morocco22 April 2022Ratification
Mozambique16 January 2020Ratification
Namibia16 May 2019Acceptance
Nauru3 November 2022Ratification
  Nepal6 August 2025Ratification
Netherlands[nb 3]8 February 2018Acceptance
New Zealand[nb 4]3 October 2019Ratification
Nicaragua30 September 2020Ratification
Niger29 August 2018Ratification
Nigeria20 December 2018Ratification
Niue24 April 2018Ratification
North Korea21 September 2017Ratification
North Macedonia12 March 2020Ratification
Norway6 September 2017Ratification
Oman8 November 2024Ratification
Pakistan 22 October 2025 Ratification
Palau29 August 2017Ratification
Panama28 September 2018Ratification
Papua New Guinea12 November 2024Ratification
Paraguay1 November 2018Acceptance
Peru7 August 2019Ratification
Philippines3 November 2022Ratification
Poland7 January 2019Ratification
Portugal17 July 2018Approval
Romania1 July 2020Acceptance
Russia3 October 2020Acceptance
Rwanda23 May 2017Ratification
Samoa23 March 2018Ratification
San Marino20 October 2020Acceptance
São Tomé and Príncipe4 October 2019Ratification
Saudi Arabia10 September 2025Acceptance
Senegal31 August 2018Ratification
Serbia8 October 2021Ratification
Seychelles20 August 2019Acceptance
Sierra Leone15 June 2020Ratification
Singapore1 June 2022Ratification
Slovakia16 November 2017Ratification
Slovenia7 December 2018Ratification
Solomon Islands23 May 2022Ratification
Somalia27 November 2019Ratification
South Africa1 August 2019Ratification
South Korea19 January 2023Ratification
Spain20 January 2022Ratification
Sri Lanka28 September 2018Ratification
Saint Kitts and Nevis29 August 2025Acceptance
Saint Lucia2 November 2021Ratification
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines7 November 2022Ratification
Sweden17 November 2017Ratification
 Switzerland7 November 2018Ratification
Syria5 April 2021Ratification
Tajikistan29 June 2022Ratification
Tanzania25 March 2022Ratification
Thailand3 April 2024Ratification
Togo8 March 2018Acceptance
Tonga17 September 2018Ratification
Trinidad and Tobago17 November 2017Ratification
Tunisia27 August 2021Ratification
Turkey10 November 2021Ratification
Turkmenistan31 August 2020Ratification
Tuvalu21 September 2017Ratification
Uganda21 June 2018Ratification
United Arab Emirates19 April 2024Acceptance
United Kingdom[nb 5]14 November 2017Ratification
United States31 October 2022Ratification
Uruguay12 September 2018Ratification
Vanuatu20 April 2018Ratification
Venezuela5 December 2022Ratification
Vietnam27 September 2019Approval
Zambia15 March 2021Ratification
Zimbabwe18 October 2022Acceptance

Notes

  1. ↑ Extended to include Macau but excluding Hong Kong.
  2. ↑ Excluding Greenland.
  3. ↑ Excluding the Dutch Caribbean.
  4. ↑ Excluding Tokelau.
  5. ↑ Extended to include Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.

Notes

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  1. ↑ These countries are: Algeria, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates.

References

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  1. ↑ "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...
  2. 1 2 3 "Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer". United Nations Treaty Collective. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "Thirty years on, what is the Montreal Protocol doing to protect the ozone?". United Nations Environment Programme. November 15, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ Dillon, Jeremy (September 20, 2022). "Kigali climate treaty clears Senate hurdle". E&E News. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ Chime, Vivian (September 16, 2022). "FG unveils 'cooling action plan' to reduce emissions from refrigerants". TheCable. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ Sandefur, Jason (July 17, 2020). "UN Agency Urges Quick Shift to Environmentally Friendly Cooling". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  10. ↑ Roan, Shari (March 12, 2012). "F. Sherwood Rowland dies at 84; UC Irvine professor won Nobel Prize". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ McGrath, Matt (October 15, 2016). "Climate change: 'Monumental' deal to cut HFCs, fastest growing greenhouse gases". BBC News. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  12. ↑ Benshoff, Laura (September 20, 2022). "The U.S. ratifies treaty to phase down HFCs, gases trapping 1,000x more heat than CO2". Boise State Public Radio. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  13. ↑ Denning, Scott (September 22, 2022). "US Senate ratifies treaty to phase down climate-warming HFCs from refrigerators and air conditioners – but what will replace them this time?". The Conversation. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  14. ↑ Cariaso, Bella (September 17, 2022). "PH begins 3rd stage to phase out ODS". The Manila Times. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  15. ↑ Velders GJ, Fahey DW, Daniel JS, McFarland M, Andersen SO (July 2009). "The large contribution of projected HFC emissions to future climate forcing". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106 (27): 10949–54. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10610949V. doi:10.1073/pnas.0902817106. PMC 2700150. PMID 19549868.
  16. ↑ Montreal Protocol, Article 5
  17. ↑ "Handbook for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" (PDF). p. 735.
  18. ↑ Section 5.8, Article 1. "Handbook for the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer" (PDF). p.920-922
  19. ↑ Say, Jeremiah (May 11, 2026). "Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol — The Definitive Reference - Green Calculus". GreenCalculus Engineering. Retrieved May 11, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ↑ "The decision and its annex state that Bahrain, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will use a baseline averaging their calculated levels of HFC consumption for the years 2024, 2025, and 2026, plus 65% of their baseline consumption of HCFCs."  Earth Negotiations Bulletin (PDF). p10.
  21. ↑ "Decision XXVIII/2: Decision related to the amendment phasing down hydrofluorocarbons". Appendix II: List of countries operating under the high-ambient-temperature exemption.
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