Kigali Amendment: ‘Freeze dates and phase-down levels of HFCs ambitious’
Steve Yurek
In the aftermath of the Kigali meeting, a press communiqué in the European Commission website said: “197 Parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to gradually limit their production and use of HFCs. In developed countries, first reductions are due in 2019. Most developing countries will freeze the level of HFC quantities in 2024, and a few countries will follow in 2028.” Group 1 countries begin their phase-down levels from 2029, while Group 2 countries begin from 2032. 1
Commenting on the Kigali Amendment, Steve Yurek, President, had called the freeze dates and phase-down levels “ambitious”. Explaining himself, he said: “If you look at the freeze dates and the step-down levels for the United States and Europe, we have till 2029, so we will be reducing by 70% over 13 years. That means a lot of changes in not only the equipment but also the training that will be necessary, because the refrigerants we are going to be replacing are non-flammable, while the new ones will have a certain flammability and, hence, the need for safe operation. It’s really about the entire industry – the manufacturers, the installers… everybody. And the training to use the refrigerant safely is important. That’s why I see the freeze dates and step-down levels as being ambitious.”
Elaborating his point, Yurek said that there was 30-year step-down period for ozone-depleting substances in A2 countries, however, with HFCs, the time period is shorter, thus making it ambitious.