Marshall Islands first to ratify Kigali Amendment
The low-lying atoll nation has become the first country to pass a law in parliament ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The Marshall Islands – a low-lying nation among the world’s most vulnerable to sea level rises caused by climate change – on Tuesday became the first country to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in parliament.
The Kigali Amendment paves the way for the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to be cut by more than 85% by 2050. This will avoid up to 80 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by 2050 and will help achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global temperature increases within 1.5°C.
Speaking after the Nitijela (parliament) had approved the Kigali Amendment, President Hilda Heine said: “My country will not survive without urgent action to cut emissions by every country and every sector of our economies, including HFCs. Our rapid ratification of the Kigali Amendment is yet another demonstration of our commitment to the Paris Agreement.”
Heine called on other countries, to “quickly do the same in order to help keep global temperature increases within 1.5°C. This deal is good for our people, the planet, and the profits of those that follow in our footsteps”.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Silk said he would deposit the instrument of ratification at the UN Mission in New York to formally complete the process.