The West African country Gambia has ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, becoming the 119th country, plus the European Union (EU), to ratify the global agreement to reduce HFC emissions.
Gambia’s ratification went into effect on May 5, according to the United Nations website. The small country, surrounded by Senegal, with a narrow Atlantic coastline, joins Guinea, Liberia, Cape Verde, and many others in the region in ratifying the Kigali Amendment.
As part of the Article 5 (developing countries) Group 1, Gambia is required to freeze HFC production and use in 2024, with an 80% reduction by 2045.
Fully implemented, the Amendment would avoid up to a 0.4°C (0.7°F) increase in global temperature by the end of the century, according to UN estimates.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol was enacted by 197 countries (plus the EU) in October 2016. It entered into force on January 1, 2019. Its goal is to achieve at least an 80% reduction in HFC consumption by 2047.
For an in-depth look at the Kigali Amendment, click here.
