Friends of Kigali back further action

USA: As the Kigali Amendment marks its tenth anniversary, world governments have joined forces to accelerate access to sustainable cooling and cut emissions.

Gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, governments committed to maintaining political momentum and driving practical action over the coming decade have come together to launch the Friends of the Kigali Amendment.

At the launch, Rwanda, alongside Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) co-chairs Brazil and the UK put forward a new ministerial communiqué setting out four priorities: strong implementation of the Kigali Amendment; sustainable and energy-efficient cooling and refrigerant management; increased finance, technology and capacity; and renewed industry and partnership.

“At a time when meaningful climate action has never been more urgent, the Kigali Amendment remains one of the clearest opportunities we have to deliver significant results. Rwanda looks forward to welcoming the world back to Kigali for MOP38, as we celebrate ten years of the Amendment and renew our commitment to its implementation,” said Dr Bernadette Arakwiye, minister of environment of Rwanda.

Major climate philanthropies, including Sequoia Climate Foundation, have announced a new joint strategy to accelerate HFC emissions reductions alongside sustainable cooling. They welcomed new efforts by governments ahead of the Kigali Amendment’s 10-year anniversary, called for greater ambition from governments and the private sector, and announced a US$100m philanthropic funding goal to support these efforts.

“The philanthropic community is mobilising to support fast action on super pollutants – which account for up to 70% of avoidable warming by 2050 – including making sure we follow the most ambitious and accelerated path for implementing the Kigali Amendment and delivering sustainable, climate-friendly cooling as the world rapidly warms”, said Christie Ulman, president of Sequoia Climate Foundation.