Colombia. The Constitutional Court declared the Kigali Amendment, an amendment to the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty in force since 1 January 1989 that protects the ozone layer, and which provides for the elimination of Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS).
This Protocol, which Colombia has been a member of since 1993, is the first environmental treaty that established common but differentiated responsibilities among the signatories, establishing different eradication goals for developed and developing countries.
"With this Amendment, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are not ODS, but Greenhouse Gases (GHG) that have a high impact on global warming, are added to the list of substances controlled by the Protocol. That is why this decision of the honorable Court is so important for the country," said Carlos Eduardo Correa, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development.
Colombia will join this new global initiative that has already been ratified by 113 countries, thanks to the concept issued by the Court. The goal of committed nations is to prevent the planet's temperature from rising 0.5 degrees by the year 2100.
The Ministry of Environment has been working on the legal and administrative framework that allows the early ratification of the Kigali Amendment, approved in 2016, and the inclusion of the country as a signatory of this important measure for the planet.
"This will allow access to technical and financial resources through the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol, and advance in the implementation of commitments to reduce the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons in the country," said the minister.
With the ratification and entry into force of the Kigali Amendment in the country, opportunities arise for the industry as it faces the quest for cleaner production with more efficient use of energy. The National Government will work with all sectors in the progressive replacement of HFCs, and in the inclusion of new technologies and equipment that minimize energy consumption.
"Colombia has charted a clear path towards the use of substances that do not deplete ozone and reduce the impact on the planet's climate. The implementation of the Kigali Amendment will be aligned with actions to counter climate change. The reduction in the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons will contribute to the fulfillment of the greenhouse gas mitigation goals. It is a work in which all sectors of civil society must be involved," concluded Minister Correa.
By clicking here, you can learn about the status of the Amendment in your different countries.
Source: Minambiente.
