Brazil Ratifies Agreement to Expand Restriction on HFC Gases, which Intensify the Greenhouse Effect
Last Friday (25), the enactment of the Kigali Amendment was published in the Official Gazette, a device created in 2016 with the UN (United Nations) that expands the restriction on HFC gases (hydrofluorocarbons). These substances contribute to the greenhouse effect and are present in refrigeration devices. The country was one of the last to adopt the agreement, which has already been put into practice by more than 150 nations. The text had been ratified by Congress in 2022 but was awaiting approval from the Executive to come into force. The amendment expands the scope of the Montreal Protocol, a 1987 treaty designed to phase out the production of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), responsible for the decline in ozone levels in the atmosphere. This is one of the few universally ratified agreements in history and has resulted in the progressive restoration of the ozone layer helping to prevent global temperatures from rising by about 0.5C. The Kigali Amendment (in reference to the capital of Rwanda, where the agreement was signed) deals with HFCs, which were used to replace CFCs because they do not destroy the ozone, but have a very harmful impact on global warming. It is estimated that the adoption of the agreement will prevent a 0.3C to 0.5C increase in temperature by 2100. Brazil has until 2024 to adapt to the new HFC consumption ceiling, serving the domestic market without increasing the average of imports that were carried out between 2020 and 2022. After this freeze, it should progressively reduce the emission of HFCs, going from a cut of 10% in 2029 to 80% in 2045.