Two more countries – New Zealand and Mauritius – have ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol this week, bringing the number that have adopted the HFC-reduction treaty to 85 (including the European Union).
“The global agreement to reduce these potent greenhouse gases, is another step in New Zealand’s commitment to reduce global warming,” said James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change, in a statement. “It is estimated that this will avoid 0.5 degrees of warming by the end of the century. This is major news for achieving our commitments under the Paris Agreement to cap global warming to 1.5 degrees,” Shaw said. New Zealand ratified the treaty on October 3.
New Zealand’s ratification was done with the exclusion of its territory Tokelau, a remote group of atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.
The Republic of Mauritius, an African island nation located in the Indian Ocean, is already using ammonia in refrigeration installations thanks to the help of South African contractors, according to John Ackermann, longtime South African owner of a components business. Mauritius ratified on October 1.
As a developed nation, New Zealand is obligated to cut production and use of HFCs in 2019 by 10% compared to the average between 2011 and 2013, leading up to an 85% cut by 2016. As a developing nation, Mauritius is required to freeze production and use of HFCs in 2024 at the average between 2020 and 2022, leading to an 80% reduction by 2045.
In addition to New Zealand and Mauritius, countries that have ratified, accepted or approved the Kigali Amendment since June 5 include: Cuba, Ethiopia, Cyprus, South Africa, Ghana, Peru, Seychelles, Cook Islands, Bhutan and Vietnam, the last two on September 27.
The Kigali Amendment was enacted by 197 countries on October 15, 2016.
To see a list of all countries that have ratified the agreement, click here.
