Treaty to Phase Out ‘Greenhouse Gasses on Steroids’ to Enter Force<br />Known as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, it required 20 countries to ratify it in order to go into effect — just<br />in time for a global meeting on a broader treaty designed to protect the ozone layer, which starts next week in Montreal.<br />“Now the question is, will the U. S. ratify the amendment so American chemical companies can gain full access to<br />new global markets for replacement chemicals,” said Paul Bledsoe, a former Clinton White House climate adviser<br />“That’s a powerful signal to the market that they better continue to adjust their investment decisions<br />and their production to meet the standards under this amendment,” said Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, an advocacy group in Washington.<br />The United States is one of the world’s biggest makers of HFCs,<br />and if it fails to ratify the agreement, it could potentially hinder the ability of American companies to sell coolants to other countries that have ratified the agreement.
