Image by UNEP 

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)’s Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) on behalf of Cameroon has been approved by the Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol. This is the first KIP to be approved and means that UNIDO will receive funding to work with the authorities in Cameroon to bring an end to the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in that country. HFCs are gases, primarily used in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, which are potent global warmers if released into the atmosphere.

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol came into effect in January 2019. Signatory countries are obliged to cut down the consumption of HFCs by 80% by 2045. To achieve this reduction, the countries need a strategy, and  UNIDO is helping its member states with the preparation of such plans. Since the approval of the KIP for Cameroon, UNIDO has prepared plans for ten additional countries and submitted them to the MLF for approval, explained Ole Nielsen, Chief of Montreal Protocol Division.

A universal ratification and full implementation of the Kigali Amendment could reduce global warming by up to 0.5º C, by the end of the century. If the phase-down of HFCs is combined with energy-efficiency measures, these gains could potentially double.

The theme for this year’s Ozone Day, observed on 16 September each year is ‘Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change.’  The Day is an opportunity to highlight the achievements of the Montreal Protocol in helping the  ozone layer to recover and now also combatting climate change, especially through the Kigali Amendment.

Further details:

Ole Nielsen

Chief,

Montreal Protocol Division

Email