Phasing down climate warming refrigerants and adopting energy efficient technology at the same time in the cooling sector is an effective sustainable cooling strategy being pursued under the Montreal Protocol. Countries that ratify the Protocol’s Kigali Amendment commit to this path of adopting sustainable cooling. If universally ratified and fully implemented, the Kigali Amendment will be a formidable climate action tool with the potential to avoid up to 1°C by the end of the century. In terms of remaining within the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target, this is a considerable contribution.
At their combined 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention and 36th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (COP13/MOP36) convened in Bangkok, at the end of October 2024, the Executive Secretary, Megumi Seki, of the Ozone Secretariat urged parties who have yet to ratify the Kigali Amendment to action and aim for universal ratification by the time of the Kigali Amendment’s 10th anniversary since its adoption in October 2026.
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, reiterated the call to action in her opening statement to the high-level segment of the COP13/MOP36, promising UNEP’s full support, both at political and technical level, towards reaching this goal.
At the time of COP13/MOP36, 160 out of 198 parties had ratified. This was soon to change as parties took note and finalised their submission documents. Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman and Papua New Guinea deposited their instruments of ratification or approval on 4, 8 and 12 November respectively.
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With these most recent ratifications the total stands at 163 with 35 parties remaining.
The Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat, with support of UNEP, parties and partners, is committed to work with parties that have not ratified the Kigali Amendment to achieve the goal of universal ratification by the time of MOP38 in 2026, by providing information on the new obligations and benefits of the Amendment, identifying any potential assistance that parties may require and providing or helping to provide such support as may be necessary.
