Kigali agreement

Countries came to an agreement in Kigali to phase out a family of potent greenhouse gases by the late 2040s and move to prevent a potential 0.5 degree Celsius rise in global temperature by the end of the century.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a family of greenhouse gases that are largely used in refrigerants in home and car air-conditioners. They are currently the world's fastest growing greenhouse gases, with emissions increasing by up to 10 per cent each year. They are one of the most powerful, trapping thousands of times more heat in the Earth's atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2).

The agreement is significant in that it amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol, initially conceived only to plug gases that were destroying the ozone layer, to now include gases responsible for global warming.

Unlike the Paris agreement that will come into force by 2020 and doesn't legally bind countries to their promises to cut emissions, the amended Montreal Protocol will bind countries to their HFC reduction schedules from 2019. There are also penalties for non-compliance as well as clear directives that developed countries provide enhanced funding support estimated at billions of dollars globally.

As per the agreement in Kigali, all countries are in one of three groups with different timelines to go about these reductions.

Indian perspective:

India gets to participate in a positive way for global climate action, while gaining time to allow its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning sectors to grow and find a comfortable transition route from highly potent HFCs to better alternatives.