Sri Lanka to ratify Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on HFC phase-down

The government has decided to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) Phase-down and the cabinet of Ministers has given its approval for ratification.

The Montreal Protocol was established in 1987 by the world community to regulate the use of chemicals that cause damage to the ozone layer and phase out their use systematically and gradually.

Sri Lanka is a party to the Montreal Protocol and has accorded agreement to the amendments and adjustments made to the protocol in the past.

The last amendment to the Montreal Protocol was made on October 15, 2016, in Kigali, Rwanda when 170 countries came to an agreement to substantially phase out the potent greenhouse gases by 2045 and move to prevent a potential 0.5 Centigrade rise in global temperature by 2050.

Countries that ratify the Kigali Amendment commit to cut the production and consumption of powerful greenhouse gases hydrofluorocarbons by more than 80 percent over the next 30 years.

Sri Lanka has already begun measures to restrict the use of hydrofluorocarbon gases without affecting Sri Lanka’s industrial sector and the economy and raise awareness on the Kigali Agreement.

Accordingly, a proposal put forward by the President Maithripala Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment to ratify the Kigali Agreement to inform the parliament, has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.