The Montreal Protocol is expected in October 2016 to agree an amendment to phase down HFC emissions. Ahead of that decision the US Government has this week hosted a meeting with over 100 delegates who called for securing an ambitious amendment with an “early freeze date”. The freeze date is the year when countries stop increasing the production and consumption of HFCs and begin the process of phasing them down, and it is therefore critical to achieving the emissions reductions associated with any amendment. Securing the amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down HFCs could avoid up to 0.5°C of warming by the end of the century, making a major contribution to the Paris Agreement goal to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C.

In addition with the call for an ambitious amendment, a group of donor countries and philanthropists announced their intent to provide $80 million in assistance to countries to implement any amendment and improve energy efficiency.

The amendment to the Montreal Protocol is expected to be agreed at the 28^th Meeting of the Parties to be held in Kigali , Rwanda , between the 10^th - 14^th Oct 2016