Alternative Refrigerants Update

The 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP 28) held in Kigali, Rwanda, in October 2016 adopted an amendment to the Montreal Protocol that obligates the parties to phase down their use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). As an international treaty to protect the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol up to this point has prohibited the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other substances with ozone depletion potential (ODP). By com- mitting countries to reducing their use of greenhouse gases as a way to combat global warming, the Kigali Amendment represents a breakthrough.