"Senate Democrats Set Action On Kigali Climate Treaty"

"Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday moved to take up the so-called Kigali Amendment next week, putting the chamber on track to ratify its first climate treaty in decades.

The Obama administration supported the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are potent greenhouse gases. Stemming from air conditioning and refrigeration appliances, HFCs have a warming effect more potent than carbon dioxide.

“HFCs need to be dealt with as soon as possible because they are thousands — thousands — of times more damaging to our atmosphere than carbon dioxide,” Schumer said. “This is a very important opportunity for the Senate to make official America’s intention to phase these dangerous chemicals out of use.”

To make the Kigali agreement U.S. law, backers must get 67 senators to agree. And even though Republicans stalled on Kigali through the Trump administration, the refrigerant and cooling industry has worked to build a coalition of support."

Jeremy Dillon reports for E&E News September 16, 2022.

Source: E&E News, 09/16/2022