The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 69-27 to ratify an amendment to the Montreal Protocol that would phase down hydrofluorocarbons, a major greenhouse gas, a key step that could have a major impact on combating climate change.
The Kigali Amendment would accelerate global efforts to develop alternatives to HFCs for use in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR).
HFCs have a high global warming potential. Passage of the amendment is projected to help avoid a rise in global temperatures by 0.5 C by 2050.
“This is a win-win in our fight against climate change and will go a long way to battle rising global temperatures while also creating tens of thousands of good paying American jobs,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday.
He said Kigali ratification and passage of the climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act last month make up the “strongest one-two punch” that Congress has taken to combat climate change.