Environmental Policy in the 21st Century: The Future of the Kigali Amendment - 2

Panel I: The Origins of the Kigali Amendment and Current Status of Ratification

There is broad agreement that the 1986 Montreal Protocol, which addressed ozone-depleting chemicals, was one of the most successful efforts to confront a global environmental problem in the modern era. It attained bipartisan support in Congress before the treaty was signed by President Reagan.

In 2016, an amendment to the Montreal Protocol was agreed to at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda, by 170 countries, including the United States. This new Kigali Amendment is intended to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over the next three decades. HFCs have minimal impact on ozone depletion but many studies have since shown that they have a high impact on greenhouse gas concentrations.

Debate over adoption includes questions about the approval process, its effectiveness in reducing both ozone depletion and greenhouse gas concentrations, the costs of implementation, and whether additional changes to the Clean Air Act are needed for implementing the treaty amendment in the United States.

On Monday, February 5th, Hudson Institute hosted a half-day symposium to discuss the future of the Kigali Amendment. Forbes magazine Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes delivered keynote remarks, and two separate panels will discuss the Kigali Amendment and its impact on the U.S. regulatory process.