Union Cabinet Approves Ratification Of Kigali Amendment On Hydrofluorocarbons

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal Protocol that mandates the involved parties to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) owing to their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.

The aforementioned amendment was adopted by the parties at the 28^th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol that was conducted in Kigali, Rwanda on 26^th October, 2018.

India is set to phase down HFCs in four steps, i.e. cumulative reduction of 10 per cent, 20 per cent, 30 per cent and 80 per cent in 2032, 2037, 2042 and 2047 respectively.

The comprehensive schedule of the same will be unveiled following consultations with stakeholders across industries by 2023.

The HFC phase down will also help in preventing the rise of global temperature by 0.5 per cent by 2100 as it will stop the emission of about 105 million tonnes of the carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gases.

As per a report by the Economic Times, the amendments to the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules will authorise adequate control over the production and consumptions of HFCs to comply with the Kigali amendment by mid-2024.