Kigali Agreement: Simplified

The Paris Agreement to combat climate change was followed by the Kigali Agreement, another major global agreement. In this post, we will discuss the significance of the Kigali Agreement and its relevance to India.

What is the Kigali Agreement?

• On October 15, 2016, negotiators from 197 countries signed a historic agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol at the 28th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali and the capital city of a tiny African country, Rwanda.
• According to the agreement, these countries are expected to reduce the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by approximately 80-85 percent from their respective baselines by 2045.
• This phase-down is expected to halt global average temperature rise by 0.5o C by 2100.
• The Kigali Agreement is an addition to the Montreal Protocol.

India ratify Kigali Agreement

According to an announcement from India’s Office of the Prime Minister, India will ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the global agreement to phase down super climate-polluting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). 

The phase-out of HFCs, which are used in cooling appliances, insulating foams, and other products, is expected to save close to 0.5°C of warming by the end of the century, with India accounting for a significant share. India’s ratification, as a long-time leader in implementing the Montreal Protocol, is a significant step toward the Kigali Amendment’s success. 

China ratified the agreement earlier this year, joining 121 other countries that have done so to date. The Indian government intends to develop a national strategy for phase-down of HFCs in the coming year, a process that will involve industry collaboration and will be completed by 2023. In addition, the government intends to update its existing legal framework to phase out ozone-depleting substances, which is currently underway, to reflect the HFC phasedown by mid-2024.

Kigali Agreement Legally Binding

Unlike the Paris Agreement, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding, requiring countries to reduce HFC emissions. 

One of the notable aspects of the recently concluded climate conference in Kigali, Rwanda, is that 197 countries met here and signed the first legally binding climate treaty of the twenty-first century. At the Montreal Protocol’s 28th Meeting of Parties, countries agreed to amend the Protocol to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). 

HFCs are refrigerants that are commonly found in air conditioning and refrigeration systems. They are powerful greenhouse gases with a thousand times the global warming potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide (CO2). 

The Montreal Protocol was signed in the early 1990s to prohibit the use of ozone-depleting chemicals. However, the ozone-depleting chemicals were replaced by HFCs, which caused global warming. The world agreed in Kigali to reduce the use of HFCs and transition to refrigerants that do not contribute to global warming or create an ozone hole.

What is the Montreal Protocol?

• The Montreal Protocol is a highly effective international environmental treaty for reducing Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) in the atmosphere.
• It went into effect in 1989.
• It has 197 signatories to the protocol and has become the first international treaty with full ratification.
• It has been amended several times, and the Kigali amendment is the eighth amendment to this protocol.
• It has successfully reduced the production of chlorofluorocarbons and other ODSs by 98 percent and has significantly contributed to the repair of the ozone hole.

Kigali Agreement: Important Points

• It is a legally binding agreement with non-compliance penalties between the signatory parties.
• It will take effect on January 1, 2019, if ratified by at least 20 member parties by then.
• It has demonstrated considerable flexibility in approach when setting phase-down targets for various economies to accommodate their developmental aspirations, various socio economic compulsions, and scientific and technological capabilities.

It has classified the signatory parties into three categories

1. The first group consists of rich and developed economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which will begin to phase out HFCs in 2019 and reduce them to 15% of 2012 levels by 2036.
2. The second group consists of emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and some African countries, which will begin phasing down by 2024 and reduce it to 20% of 2021 levels by 2045.
3. The third group consists of developing economies and some of the hottest climate countries, such as India, Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, which will begin phasing out HFCs by 2028 and reduce them to 15% of 2024-2026 levels until 2047.

• It also includes a provision for a multilateral adaptation and mitigation fund for developing countries.
• The Technology and Energy Assessment Panel (TEAP) will review alternative technologies and products on a regular basis for energy efficiency and safety standards.

Conclusion

In this post, we discussed the significance of the Kigali Agreement and its relevance to India. On October 15, 2016, negotiators from 197 countries signed a historic agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol at the 28th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali and the capital city of a tiny African country, Rwanda. The Kigali Agreement is an addition to the Montreal Protocol. India ratified Kigali Agreement According to an announcement from India’s Office of the Prime Minister, India will ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the global agreement to phase down super climate-polluting hydrofluorocarbons.