International.
From October 8 to 14, the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol for the Protection of the Ozone Layer will be taking place, which takes place in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. As was the case in last year's Paris Agreement on climate change, this meeting is also expected to result in a legally binding mechanism: this time to ban HFCs.
More than 100 countries have already expressed their intention to push for an ambitious phase-out of HFCs, which is supported by the business community.
The rapporteurs of the amendment claim that an agreement for the gradual reduction of HFCs will significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Phasing out HFCs could also prevent global temperatures from rising by as much as 0.5°C.
With the Paris Agreement coming into force on November 4, 2016, an agreement in Kigali could give many countries the quick start they need to meet their emissions reduction targets. India, the European Union, the United States and a group of Pacific island nations have each submitted a proposal. Although the exact terms are yet to be negotiated, a strong business case for natural refrigerants is likely to emerge from the deal.
The Montreal Protocol has had great success in eliminating harmful CFCs and HCFCs from atmospheric circulation. Both substances wreaked havoc on the ozone layer. Since its gradual decline in 1991 and 2003, respectively, the hole in the ozone layer has been showing signs of recovery.
