On 15 October 2016, 197 countries struck a landmark deal to reduce the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a category of highly potent greenhouse gases (GHG). It is anticipated that this agreement could prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by the end of this century. The amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer that was endorsed in Kigali is considered to be the single largest contribution the world has made towards keeping the global temperature rise “well below 2 degrees Celsius”, a target agreed at the Paris climate conference in 2015.
HFCs, currently the world’s fastest growing GHG, are commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances. According to the United Nations, emissions from HFCs are increasing by up to 10% each year as global demand for cooling, particularly in developing countries with a fast-expanding middle class and hot climates, grows rapidly. The Kigali amendment provides that developed countries will start to phase down HFCs by 2019. Developing countries will follow with a freeze of HFC consumption levels in 2024, with some countries freezing consumption in 2028. By the late 2040s, all countries are expected to consume no more than 15-20% of their respective baselines.
Countries also agreed to provide adequate financing for HFCs reduction, the cost of which is estimated at billions of dollars globally. The exact amount of additional funding will be agreed at the next meeting in 2017. While alternatives to HFCs with a smaller impact on the climate are available (such as ammonia or carbon dioxide), they remain more expensive than HFCs. As a result, grants for research and development of affordable alternatives to HFCs will be the most immediate priority for countries to pursue.