Kigali on cusp of taking effect

Seventeen countries have now ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol calling for a global phase-down of HFCs – three short of the 20 needed for the Amendment to enter into force.

This week alone, six nations formally ratified the Amendment: Finland, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), Luxembourg, Maldives, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Canada ratified the Kigali Amendment on November 3. A complete list of ratifications is available here.

The Kigali Amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2019, provided that it is ratified by at least 20 parties to the Montreal Protocol. However, the Amendment will only be binding on those countries that have ratified it.

If 20-nation condition is not met by January 1, 2019, the Amendment will become effective on the 90th day following the date of ratification by the 20th party. But momentum is building for ratifications to reach the 20 threshold, as the 29^th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP29) is set to take place in Montreal, Canada, next week (November 20-24); it will mark the 30th anniversary of the treaty. MOP29 will strive to adopt concrete measures to accelerate the global HFC phase-down.

If a country ratifies the Amendment after it takes effect, it will enter into force for that country 90 days after it has submitted its instrument of ratification. Countries that fail to ratify the Amendment will be subject to HFC import/export bans starting on January 1, 2029, providing that at least 70 countries have ratified the amendment by that date.

The Kigali Amendment was adopted on October 15, 2016, by 189 developed and developing nations meeting in the Rwandan capital. Under the Amendment, developed countries take the lead on phasing down HFCs, starting with a 10% reduction in 2019 and delivering an 85% cut in 2036 (compared to a 2011-2013 baseline).