It’s Time to Ratify the Kigali Amendment

By: Sarah Westaway

In January of 2019, an international agreement to reduce the emissions of potent greenhouse gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration was ratified by over 70 countries. The United States was not one of the participating countries, despite numerous letters sent to President Trump by top industry executives and lawmakers urging ratification of the Kigali Amendment in the United States.

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol aims to completely phase out the use of chemical coolants called hydrofluorocarbons, commonly known as HFCs. Beginning around 1990, the use of HFCs skyrocketed in air conditioners and refrigerators as they were seen as safer alternatives to other substances known to permanently damage the Earth’s ozone layer. However, HFCs are potent greenhouse gases, and emissions of HFCs are not explicitly controlled under the Kyoto Protocol—adding to the imminent global threat of climate change.

HFCs were an innovative solution to the issue of ozone depletion in the 1980s, which was caused by similar coolants called chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. Swapping out CFCs for HFCs helped solve the problem of the hole in the ozone layer, but these new chemicals came with an unintended consequence: the exacerbation of human-caused climate change. Scientists have predicted that a two degree Celsius rise in temperature will impose substantial species extinction, global risks to food security, intense and extreme weather events, among other impacts. The Kigali Amendment’s ratification could prevent a warming of up to 0.44 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, which would be pivotal in advancing global efforts to slow the Earth’s temperature increases to two degrees above preindustrial levels.

The Amendment has drawn support from American HVAC manufacturers that believe the Kigali Amendment can increase manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by 33,000, increase U.S. exports by $5 billion, and reduce imports by $7 billion all by the year of 2027. Manufacturers are already making investments in high efficiency refrigerants, in the hopes of phasing out HFCs. However, industry experts are concerned that export demand for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment produced in countries that have not ratified the agreement, like the United States, will be reduced, as demand for newer technologies goes up in countries that have signed the agreement. Industry and taxpayer groups argue that maintaining America’s competitive advantage in the global economy should be sufficient motivation for President Trump to ratify the Kigali Amendment.

The Kigali Amendment has received further support from the legislature. In fact, in June 2018, 13 Republican senators wrote a letter to President Trump in support of ratification. The letter highlighted that American companies who will benefit from the Amendment’s proposed transitions of HVAC technologies. The letter stated, “failure to ratify this amendment could transfer our American advantage to other countries, including China, which have been dumping outdated products into the global marketplace and our backyard.”

Various states have spearheaded their own efforts to combat climate change, while the Trump administration has largely remained inactive on the issue. For example, California became the first state to pass a law regulating HFCs, which went into effect this year. Other states like Vermont, Maryland, and New York have proposals in place to follow suit. However, piecemeal state regulations can make it more difficult for industries to comply on a national level, and in turn, make enforcement more complex in general.

President Trump’s reluctance to ratify the Kigali Amendment is hardly a surprise given his skepticism of climate change and his administration’s opposition to international agreements. However, with plenty of support from the Republican Party and industry manufacturers, the Trump Administration’s objection to ratification may not be sustainable.As global temperatures continue to rise in the coming years, so will demand for air conditioning and refrigeration all around the world. The fate of the Kigali Amendment’s ratification in the United States remains uncertain, despite the potential benefits it could have on increasing American competitiveness in the global economy and mitigating climate change.

Image Credit: NRDC