Chairwoman Johnson Applauds Senate Ratification of Kigali Amendment to Reduce HFCs
(Dallas, TX)—Today, the U.S. Senate passed the minimum threshold of 67 votes needed to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The Kigali Amendment commits the United States to join global governments in phasing down production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs. HFCs are greenhouse gases that have a global warming potential over 1,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide and are commonly used for cooling and refrigeration. The phase-out of HFCs is expected to avoid a half a degree Celsius of global warming between now and 2100.
“Almost exactly thirty-five years ago, the United States joined the international Montreal Protocol to phase out ozone depleting substances in global commerce,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “That agreement has been a success, as we see the ozone layer beginning to heal and on track to being restored to its 1980 condition before 2070. Today, the U.S. Senate took another enormous step in the global effort to protect our environment by ratifying the Kigali Amendment. I commend Chairman Carper of the Environment and Public Works Committee and his colleagues in the Senate for moving this critical vote for the climate. I also thank the American chemicals and heating and cooling industries for developing safe alternatives to HFCs and for their advocacy in support of the Kigali Amendment. We must keep with this momentum and work to strongly support research and development efforts needed to make sure innovative, sustainable, and efficient cooling and refrigeration alternatives are available for all Americans.”
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