As industries moved away from ozone-depleting CFCs and HCFCs, they adopted hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as alternatives.
Although HFCs do not damage the ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse gases (GHGs) that significantly accelerate climate change.
To address this issue, the parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali Amendment in 2016 at the 28th Meeting of the Parties (MOP 28) in Kigali, Rwanda.
The amendment legally expanded the scope of the Protocol to include the phasedown of non-ozone-depleting HFCs, which are powerful greenhouse gases with high global warming potential.
By formally mandating a global phasedown of HFCs, the amendment transformed the ozone protection agreement into an important framework for climate change mitigation.
India ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021, committing to freeze HFC consumption in 2028 and reduce it by 85% from the baseline by 2047, in four stages:
2032 – 10% Targeted Reduction
2037 – 20% Targeted Reduction
2042 – 30% Targeted Reduction
2047 – 85% Targeted Reduction
By curbing HFC emissions and encouraging industries to adopt sustainable cooling alternatives, successful implementation of the Kigali Amendment is estimated to prevent 0.3–0.5°C of global warming by the end of this century.
