{"id":2000131097,"date":"2026-11-02T11:58:19","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T09:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000131097"},"modified":"2026-11-02T11:58:28","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T09:58:28","slug":"montreal-protocol-what-to-know-as-kigali-hosts-38th-meeting-of-the-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/montreal-protocol-what-to-know-as-kigali-hosts-38th-meeting-of-the-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal Protocol: What to know as Kigali hosts 38th Meeting of the Parties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The meeting comes ten years after the adoption of the Kigali Amendment in October 2016, when countries agreed in Rwanda’s capital to expand the scope of the Montreal Protocol by introducing measures to gradually reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is what to know about the international agreement, its achievements and the issues expected to feature in Kigali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Montreal Protocol?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Montreal Protocol is an international environmental treaty established to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of chemicals responsible for its depletion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was adopted on September 16, 1987, in Montreal, Canada, and entered into force on January 1, 1989.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ozone layer, located in the Earth’s stratosphere, absorbs most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, helping protect humans, animals and plants from its effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The treaty was introduced following scientific evidence linking chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol sprays and foam products, to the thinning of the ozone layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It subsequently introduced legally binding controls on nearly 100 ozone-depleting substances, requiring countries to gradually phase them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has it achieved?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Montreal Protocol is widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful environmental agreements, having led to the global phase-out of 99% of controlled ozone-depleting substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reductions have put the ozone layer on a path to recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s 2025 assessment, ozone levels are expected to return to 1980 values by around 2040 across most of the world, 2045 in the Arctic and 2066 over Antarctica, provided current policies remain in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agreement has also contributed to climate change mitigation because several of the substances it controls are potent greenhouse gases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Participants attend a workshop marking ten years of the Kigali Amendment at the Kigali Convention Centre on November 1, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is the Kigali Amendment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kigali Amendment is an addition to the Montreal Protocol, adopted on October 15, 2016, during the 28th Meeting of the Parties in Kigali, Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It introduced measures to phase down HFCs, which were increasingly being used as alternatives to CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances because they do not damage the ozone layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, HFCs contribute significantly to global warming, with some having thousands of times the warming potential of carbon dioxide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the amendment, countries committed to reducing HFC production and consumption by 80\u201385% over the coming decades, following different implementation schedules for developed and developing countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amendment entered into force on January 1, 2019. According to UNEP, its full implementation could prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by the end of the century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of August 2026, 174 of the 198 parties to the Montreal Protocol had ratified the Kigali Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is sustainable cooling receiving attention?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transition away from high-global-warming refrigerants is taking place as demand for cooling continues to grow worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air conditioning and refrigeration are increasingly important for food storage, healthcare, vaccine preservation, agricultural supply chains and digital infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, conventional cooling equipment can consume significant amounts of electricity, while refrigerant leaks contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global stock of air conditioners is projected to increase from 1.6 billion units in 2018 to 5.6 billion by 2050, making energy efficiency and access to climate-friendly cooling technologies important priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is expected at MOP38?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kigali meeting will provide an opportunity for countries to review progress in implementing the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment, strengthen commitments and encourage universal ratification of the amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the meeting, Rwanda, Brazil and the United Kingdom launched the Friends of the Kigali Amendment in New York in September 2026, alongside a Ministerial Communiqu\u00e9 outlining priorities for stronger implementation, energy-efficient cooling, refrigerant management, financing, technology and partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative also includes a philanthropic strategy and a US$100 million funding goal to accelerate implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the lead up to the MOP38, Ahead of MOP38, Kigali hosted a workshop marking ten years of the Kigali Amendment, alongside two preparatory meetings: the 77th meeting of the Montreal Protocol’s Implementation Committee (ImpCom77), held on October 30\u201331, and the Bureau meeting of the 37th Meeting of the Parties, held on October 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the opening of the anniversary workshop, on November 1, Minister of Infrastructure Damien Shyaka stressed the importance of improving the energy efficiency of cooling equipment alongside the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChanging the gas while leaving the equipment inefficient would therefore address only part of the problem. This is why energy efficiency must become an integral part of the Kigali Amendment implementation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MOP38 programme also includes a separate technical workshop focusing on technologies, skills development and sustainable cooling and cold-chain systems. MOP38 brings together around 1200 participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Minister of Infrastructure Damien Shyaka speaks during the opening of a workshop marking ten years of the Kigali Amendment in Kigali on November 1, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The workshop marking the tenth anniversary of the Kigali Amendment brought together participants to discuss progress in implementing the agreement and the future of sustainable cooling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kigali is hosting the 38th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP38) from November 2 to 6, 2026, bringing together governments, international organisations, industry representatives and other partners to advance global efforts to protect the ozone layer and address climate change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000131102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"archived_slugs":[],"footnotes":"","igh_game_id":0},"categories":[14],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[160],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000131097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-theophile-niyitegeka"],"bylines":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":2000122455,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-11.50.01-AM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 11.50.01 AM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":3,"twitter_handle":""}],"contributors":[{"id":160,"name":"Th\u00e9ophile Niyitegeka","slug":"theophile-niyitegeka","description":"","image":{"id":2000122455,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-11.50.01-AM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 11.50.01 AM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":3,"twitter_handle":""}],"featured_image":{"id":2000131102,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/11\/thumbnails_1.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":768,"height":512,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/11\/thumbnails_1-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/11\/thumbnails_1-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/11\/thumbnails_1.jpg","width":768,"height":512},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/11\/thumbnails_1.jpg","width":768,"height":512},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/11\/thumbnails_1.jpg","width":768,"height":512}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000131097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000131097"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000131097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000131103,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000131097\/revisions\/2000131103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000131102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000131097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000131097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000131097"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000131097"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000131097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}