On October 15, 2016, 150 out of 200 countries met in Kigali and agreed to phase down hydrofluorocarbons gases used in air conditioner and refrigerators and way more harmful than carbon dioxide (CO2), Africa News report.      

Environment-protection organizations said this is a milestone in fighting global warming.“It’s a monumental step forward that addresses the needs of individual nations but it will give us the opportunity to reduce the warming of the planet by an entire half a degree centigrade. This means more patience and multilateral diplomacy over a longer period,” said John Kerry, U.S. State Secretary welcoming the agreement.

However, there are different opinions concerning the dates set to implement the new measure. Three groups of countries proposed various dates. While Europe and the U.S. committed to reduce the use of the gases progressively by 10% in 2009 and by 85% by 2036, the two other groups which consists mainly of developing nations said they will freeze HFC use by 2024 or 2028, before reducing it progressively.

Olivier de Souza