October 15, 2017 marked the first anniversary of the Kigali Amendment to the 1989 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. 

The Kigali Amendment, sealed during the 28th Meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol in the Rwandan capital, seeks to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by 2100.

The deal was heralded as a historic framework that provides the "largest, fastest, and most secure” climate mitigation available in the near-term. It is seen as the most sensible first step toward reducing global emissions to prevent climate change from reaching catastrophic levels.

The agreement also represents an important step toward reaching the targets of the 2016 Paris climate deal.

However, just slightly more than a year to the date when the Kigali Amendment is expected to come into force – on January 1, 2019 – only nine countries have ratified it.

For the deal to come into force at least 20 parties need to have ratified it. 

Countries that have hitherto ratified the Kigali Amendment include Mali, the Federate State of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Rwanda, Palau, Norway, Chile, Tuvalu and The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

HFCs, which are commonly used in air conditioners and refrigeration systems, belong to a category of dangerous greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and therefore efforts to reduce them must be sustained and fast-tracked.   

In the Kigali Amendment, governments around the world have an opportunity to make a critical step toward achieving the 2 degrees Celsius global-warming target that’s envisaged under the Paris climate agreement.

While there is hope that more countries will announce completion of the ratification process during next month’s 29th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Canada, it is imperative that governments demonstrate leadership by finalising the ratification process to help make the world a safer place for all.