Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to commend the adoption of the resolution of ratification with respect to Treaty Document No. 117-1, amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Adopting the Kigali Amendment, as it is better known, will formalize the U.S. commitment to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, under the global climate treaty. These industrial chemicals commonly found in air conditioners and refrigerators, insulating foams, and pharmaceutical inhalers are potent greenhouse gases. This historic achievement is the latest in a series by a Congress that will be remembered for its unprecedented action to combat climate change and future-proof our economy. Fittingly, last week was Climate Week NYC, an event that has taken place every year in New York City since 2009. The summit takes place alongside the UN General Assembly and brings together international leaders from business, government, and civil society to showcase global climate action. A working paper on HFCs produced for the New Climate Economy by Nathan Borgford-Parnell, Maxime Beaugrand, Stephen O. Anderson, and Durwood Zaelke of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, highlights HFC phasedown as one of the greatest opportunities to mitigate climate change quickly. Specifically, reducing HFC use in line with the Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol could avoid 0.5 degree Celsius--0.9 degree Fahrenheit--of warming by 2100.…”