Iceland has ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, becoming the 112th country, plus the European Union (EU), to ratify the global agreement to reduce HFC emissions.
Iceland’s ratification came into effect on January 25, 2021, according to the United Nation’s website. The small European island nation, located in the North Atlantic, is the first country to ratify in 2021.
As a developed nation, Iceland is obligated to cut production and use of HFCs by 40% in 2024, compared to the average between 2011 and 2013, leading up to an 85% cut by 2036.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol was enacted by 197 countries (plus the EU) on October 15, 2016. It entered into force on January 1, 2019. Its goal is to achieve at least an 80% reduction in HFC consumption by 2047.
Fully implemented, the amendment would avoid up to 0.4°C (0.7°F) increase in the global temperature by the end of the century, according to UN estimates.
For an in-depth look at the Kigali Amendment, click here.
