Countries will gather in Kigali in November to review progress in implementing an international agreement to reduce hydrofluorocarbons, with Rwanda calling for renewed action on cleaner and more efficient cooling technologies.
The 38th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol will be held from Nov. 2 to 6 in Kigali, according to the Ozone Secretariat.
The meeting will come 10 years after the adoption of the Kigali Amendment, which established a global phase-down of HFCs used mainly in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.
Unlike substances targeted under the original Montreal Protocol because they damage the ozone layer, HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer but contribute to global warming. The Kigali Amendment therefore links the protection of the ozone layer with efforts to reduce climate-warming emissions.
Rwanda’s Environment Minister, Dr Bernadette Arakwiye, said MOP38 would give countries an opportunity to assess implementation of the amendment and determine what further action is needed.
Rwanda’s Environment Minister, Dr Bernadette Arakwiye
She said better cooling systems could also benefit sectors including food security and healthcare.
Megumi Seki Nakamura, executive secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, said holding the meeting in Kigali 10 years after the amendment was agreed would allow countries to assess achievements and consider how to maintain them.
The Kigali Amendment was adopted by Montreal Protocol parties in Kigali on Oct. 15, 2016. It calls for countries to phase down HFC production and consumption through legally binding targets.
Rwanda ratified the amendment in 2017, according to the Ozone Secretariat.
The meeting is expected to bring parties together to review implementation and discuss the next steps for reducing the climate impact of cooling technologies.
