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Japan ratifies Kigali

JAPAN: The Kigali Amendment to phase-down HFC refrigerants has been boosted by ratification by Japan – one of the world’s largest consumers of fluorocarbons.

While Japan, like Europe, is already unilaterally phasing down usage of the high GWP refrigerants, Japan’s ratification is a significant boost to the global implementation of HFC restrictions.

The recent addition of Japan and Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, brings the total number of countries backing Kigali to 65.

The countries to have ratified in date order:

1. Mali 31/3/17
2. Micronesia 12/5/17
3. Marshall Islands 15/5/17
4. Rwanda 23/5/17
5. Palau 29/8/17
6. Norway 6/9/17
7. Comoros 16/9/17
8. Chile 19/9/17
9. Tuvalu 21/9/17
10. North Korea 21/9/17
11. Australia 27/10/17
12. Canada 3/11/17
13. Maldives 13/11/17
14. UK 14/11/17
15. Finland 14/11/17
16. Germany 14/11/17
17. Laos 16/11/17
18. Luxembourg 16/11/17
19. Slovakia 16/11/17
20. Sweden 17/11/17
21. Trinidad and Tobago 17/11/17
22. Malawi 21/11/17
23. Côte d’Ivoire 29/11/17
24. Ecuador 22/1/18
25. Netherlands 8/2/18
26. Gabon 28/2/18
27. Togo 8/3/18
28. Ireland 12/3/18
29. Benin 19/3/18
30. Samoa 23/3/18
31. France 29/3/18
32. Barbados 19/4/18
33. Vanuatu 20/4/18
34. Niue 24/4/18
35. Bulgaria 1/5/2018
36. Costa Rica 23/5/18
37. Grenada 29/5/18
38. Belgium 4/6/2018
39. Uganda 21/6/18
40. Portugal 17/7/18
41. Lithuania 24/7/18
42. Burkina Faso 26/7/18
43. Latvia 17/8/18
44. Niger 29/8/18
45. Senegal 31/8/18
46. Uruguay 12/9/18
47. Hungary 14/9/18
48. Tonga 17/9/18
49. Mexico 25/9/18
50. European Union 27/9/18
51. Estonia 27/9/18
52. Czech Republic 27/9/18
53. Austria 27/9/18
54. Sri Lanka 28/9/18
55. Panama 28/9/18
56. Greece 5/10/18
57. Guinea-Bissau 22/10/18
58. Kiribati 26/10/18
59. Paraguay 1/11/18
60. Switzerland 9/11/18
61. Denmark 6/12/18
62. Croatia 6/12/18
63. Slovenia 7/12/18
64. Japan 18/12/18
65. Nigeria 20/12/18

Latest News

25th October 2026

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24th October 2026

House of Lords event marks HVACR Women Week

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24th October 2026

Clivet rooftops using R454C

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23rd October 2026

Court installation judges R290 chillers

UK: Panasonic has supplied six 80kW ECOi-W Aqua-G Blue R290 chillers as part of a major cooling infrastructure upgrade at Leeds Magistrates Court.
23rd October 2026

Solid refrigerant firm receives $8.5m funding

USA: Pascal, a developer of barocaloric solid refrigerant technology, has raised additional funding of $8.5m to support the technology’s initial deployments with a multinational beverage manufacturer.
23rd October 2026

Westfalen opens R290 plant

GERMANY: Industrial gases manufacturer and retailer the Westfalen Group has opened a new plant to produce high-purity refrigerant R290 at its site in Münster-Gelmer.