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Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol turned 10 years old
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol turns 10 years old on October 15, 2026, renewing focus on countries’ binding commitments to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The news highlights India’s compliance timeline and the scale of India’s cooling demand, alongside the status of global participation and financing support under the Protocol framework.
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Legal instrument | The Kigali Amendment is an amendment to the Montreal Protocol. |
| Adoption and entry into force | The amendment has been adopted in Kigali, Rwanda, on October 15, 2016, and has entered into force in January 2019. |
| Core commitment | The amendment mandates a phase-down of HFC production and consumption. |
| Nature of controls | The amendment mandates a “phase-down,” not a complete ban, since limited use continues. |
| HFC use | HFCs are used widely in refrigeration and air-conditioning. |
| Climate relevance of HFCs | Many HFCs have hundreds to thousands of times the warming impact of CO2, weight for weight, over a century, if they escape into the atmosphere. |
| Proposal to bring HFCs under the Protocol | Federated States of Micronesia and Mauritius have proposed bringing HFCs under the Protocol in 2009. |
| Montreal Protocol (1987) | The Montreal Protocol (1987) provides for phasing out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances. |
| Elimination progress | Countries have eliminated nearly 99% of controlled substances, and the ozone layer is recovering. |
| Estimated warming | Full implementation could avoid 0.3°C to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100, as per a UN-backed scientific assessment. |
| Paris Agreement temperature goals | The Paris Agreement provides for keeping warming well below 2°C, pursuing a 1.5°C limit. |
| Cooling-related warming channels | Cooling drives warming through two channels: refrigerant leakage directly into the atmosphere, and electricity consumption to run cooling equipment causing emissions wherever fossil fuels power the grid. |
| UNEP-IEA estimate | The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Energy Agency (IEA) estimate combining the HFC transition with efficiency improvements could roughly double the climate benefit. |
| India electricity demand share | Cooling accounts for over 10% of India’s annual electricity demand, as per the IEA. |
| Peak-load detail | On hot summer nights, air-conditioners can account for up to a third of power consumption. |
| India cooling demand projection | Under current policies, India’s cooling demand is projected to more than double by 2035. |
| India ratification | India has ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021. |
| India compliance timeline under Kigali | The compliance timeline mandates: 2028 freeze HFC production and consumption at an agreed baseline; 2032 first cut at 10% below baseline; 2047 reductions reaching 85%. |
| Participation status | Universal participation is still incomplete, and 175 parties have joined by early October 2026. |
| Refrigerant management requirement | Recovery and safe destruction of refrigerants is essential, since production restrictions alone can’t address refrigerants inside equipment that can leak during servicing or escape when appliances are scrapped. |
| Coalition revival | The “Friends of the Kigali Amendment” coalition has been revived in New York recently, backed by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, to push for wider participation, more financing, and better refrigerant recovery. |
| Financing mechanism | The Protocol’s Multilateral Fund is established in 1990, is operational since 1991, and is funded by developed countries to help developing countries meet additional compliance costs. |
| Multilateral Fund quantified impact | The Fund’s work has avoided emissions equivalent to ~50 billion tonnes of CO2 between 1995-2021, at a cost of ~7 US cents per tonne. |
| Support for HFC phase-down | The same financing mechanism supports the HFC phase-down. |
| Protocol approach | Analysts describe the Protocol’s approach as “start and strengthen,” beginning with a modest target of 50% CFC reduction and progressively tightening controls as alternatives become available. |
| Success factors | Key success factors comprise binding schedules giving manufacturers certainty to invest in substitutes, expert panels assessing available technology to guide decisions, and longer timetables for developing countries backed by the Fund. |
| Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) | The four main SLCPs comprise methane, black carbon, HFCs, and tropospheric (ground-level) ozone. |
| Methane lifespan | Methane has a lifespan of ~12 years. |
| EU methane agreement | The EU’s 27 member states have an international methane agreement requiring leak detection and repair, and restricting routine gas flaring. |