The United States Senate has voted to ratify the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFCs.
The Kigali Amendment commits countries to cut the production and consumption of HFCs by more than 80 per cent over the next 30 years. It is estimated that a global implementation of the Kigali Amendment would prevent up to 80 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent of emissions by 2050.
In a rare bipartisan deal the US Senate passed the climate treaty by a vote of 69 to 27.
The Kigali Amendment was first introduced in 2016 by all 197 parties to the Monteal Protocol.
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, called the ratification “a historic step forward to combating global warming in a huge way.”
He predicted that the vote may count as one of the most important bipartisan accomplishments during this Congress.
If the Kigali pact is successfully implemented, scientists estimate it would prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius, or roughly 1 degree Fahrenheit, of warming by the end of this century.