The government aims to reduce consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning, by 80 per cent by 2045 as the country steps up implementation of the Kigali Amendment.

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) told The New Times that the country has established a Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) to guide the gradual phase-down of HFC consumption.

Under the plan, Rwanda targets a 10 per cent reduction by 2029, 30 per cent by 2035, 50 per cent by 2040 and 80 per cent by 2045.

HFCs are commonly used as refrigerants in air conditioners, refrigerators and cold-storage systems. Unlike hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HFCs do not damage the ozone layer, but many have a high global warming potential and can contribute significantly to climate change when released into the atmosphere.

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Rwanda phased out CFCs in 2010 and has been implementing the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan since 2013.

HCFC reduction targets were set at 10 per cent in 2015, 35 per cent in 2020 and 67.5 per cent by 2025, with a complete phase-out targeted by 2030.

The country is now transitioning its refrigeration and air-conditioning sector from high-global-warming refrigerants to lower-impact and climate-friendly alternatives in line with the Kigali Amendment.

Kigali prepares to host MOP38

The HFC reduction targets come ahead of the 38th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP38), which will take place in Kigali from November 2 to 6, 2026.

The meeting is expected to bring together about 1,000 representatives from governments, international organisations, industry and other partners.

It also marks 10 years since the adoption of the Kigali Amendment in Kigali in October 2016.

The amendment commits countries to gradually reduce the production and consumption of HFCs. Full implementation could avoid up to 0.5°C of global warming by the end of the century, with greater benefits possible when climate-friendly refrigerants are combined with more energy-efficient cooling equipment.

Minister of Environment Bernadette Arakwiye said MOP38 will provide an opportunity to assess progress, strengthen implementation and encourage more countries to ratify the amendment.

"Rwanda is proud to welcome the world back to Kigali, ten years after countries came together here to adopt the Kigali Amendment. MOP38 is an opportunity to recognise the progress made, while also looking at what more is needed to fully implement the commitments we made,” she said.

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Arakwiye said priorities include moving away from high-global-warming HFCs, improving the energy efficiency of cooling equipment, expanding access to sustainable cooling and encouraging universal participation in the Kigali Amendment.

"These actions can deliver important benefits for the climate, but also for food security, healthcare and economic development,” she said.

Sustainable cooling transition

The Montreal Protocol is widely regarded as one of the world's most successful environmental agreements, having enabled the phase-out of most ozone-depleting substances and put the ozone layer on a path to recovery.

As demand for cooling grows, the combination of low-global-warming refrigerants and more efficient equipment is expected to reduce emissions, energy consumption and operating costs.

The Kigali Amendment, which entered into force in 2019, aims to reduce global HFC consumption by more than 85 per cent by 2049.

The phase-down is expected to prevent more than 80 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by 2050, contributing to efforts under the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise.

Megumi Seki, Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, said returning to Kigali provides Parties with an opportunity to review the progress made since 2016.

"The Montreal Protocol has demonstrated what sustained international cooperation can achieve. Ten years after the adoption of the Kigali Amendment, returning to Kigali gives Parties an opportunity to take stock of progress and strengthen implementation for the next decade,” she said.

Seki added that continued HFC phase-down, improved energy efficiency and universal ratification will be important to achieving the amendment's full climate benefits.

Innovation and implementation

Alongside the formal negotiations, Rwanda will host activities focused on implementation, innovation, technology, skills development, sustainable cooling and cold-chain systems.

An Innovation Exhibition at the Kigali Convention Centre will showcase climate-friendly cooling and cold-chain technologies and bring together manufacturers, industry leaders, financiers and development partners.

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A partnership forum will also focus on technologies, investment and partnerships required to translate Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment commitments into practical action.

Rwanda's progress since the Kigali Amendment

Rwanda ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2017 and has since strengthened regulations governing ozone-depleting substances and HFCs.

The country has introduced an HFC licensing and quota system, a digital ozone information platform, and monitoring of imports and exports of controlled substances to improve compliance and prevent illegal trade.

It has also invested in training refrigeration and air-conditioning technicians in safe refrigerant handling, recovery and the use of climate-friendly alternatives.

Energy efficiency is being incorporated into the transition through initiatives such as the Rwanda Cooling Initiative, Minimum Energy Performance Standards and energy labelling for cooling equipment.

Rwanda has also partnered with the UK Government to establish the African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) in Kigali, which serves as a regional platform for research, training, innovation, technology demonstration and knowledge exchange.

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The country is strengthening refrigerant management throughout its lifecycle, including recovery and reclamation, while developing the technical capacity required to operate a refrigerant reclamation unit.

Through ACES and related programmes, Rwanda is also promoting sustainable cold-chain solutions for agriculture, fisheries, food preservation and healthcare.

The initiatives are intended to ensure that the shift towards climate-friendly cooling contributes not only to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also to food security, healthcare, energy efficiency and economic development.