• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has welcomed the Kigali Agreement, which has been signed by 197 nations – including India – in Kigali, Rwanda, with the goal of curbing the use of climate-altering hydroflourocarbons (HFCs).
• “The Kigali Agreement to the Montreal Protocol reached this morning is a historic occasion, which will have a lasting impact on our planet.
• Agreement will lead to a reduction of 0.5 degree in global temp by the end of the century and enable us to achieve the goals set in Paris.
• The flexibility and cooperation shown by India as well as other countries has created this fair, equitable and ambitious HFC agreement.
• This will also provide a mechanism for countries like India to access and develop technologies that leave a low carbon footprint.

India Welcomes Landmark HFC Agreement at Kigali

• India joins the nations of the world in lauding the Hydroflurocarbon (HFC) Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, agreed to at the 28th Meeting of Parties at Kigali, Rwanda. The Kigali Agreement is a reaffirmation of the global intent to mitigate climate change and exemplifies international co-operation in this regard. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding and will come into force from January 1, 2019.
• The Agreement upholds the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR & RC). It recognizes the development imperatives of high-growth economies like India, and provides a realistic and viable roadmap for the implementation of a phase-out schedule for high global warming potential (GWP) HFCs.

Source: PIB