There is broad agreement that the 1986 Montreal Protocol, which addressed ozone-depleting chemicals, was one of the most successful efforts to confront a global environmental problem in the modern era. It attained bipartisan support in Congress before the treaty was signed by President Reagan.
In 2016, an amendment to the Montreal Protocol was agreed to at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda, by 170 countries, including the United States. This new Kigali Amendment is intended to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over the next three decades. HFCs have minimal impact on ozone depletion but many studies have since shown that they have a high impact on greenhouse gas concentrations.
Debate over adoption includes questions about the approval process, its effectiveness in reducing both ozone depletion and greenhouse gas concentrations, the costs of implementation, and whether additional changes to the Clean Air Act are needed for implementing the treaty amendment in the United States.
On Monday, February 5th, Hudson Institute hosted a half-day symposium to discuss the future of the Kigali Amendment. Forbes magazine Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes delivered keynote remarks, and two separate panels will discuss the Kigali Amendment and its impact on the U.S. regulatory process.
To view Mr. Michaels' slides, click here.
Please join Hudson Institute to discuss what has gone wrong with US policy toward Venezuela and how the Biden administration and 118th Congress can reinvigorate efforts to support democracy so that all Venezuelans can have a brighter future.
Join Hudson Institute for a conversation on these issues and more with Ambassador Adela Raz, former ambassador of Afghanistan to the US and visiting fellow at Hudson Institute, and Ambassador Husain Haqqani, former ambassador of Pakistan to the US and director of Hudson Institute’s South and Central Asia program.
When Chinese leader Xi Jinping brokered a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the White House welcomed the news. According to the administration, reduced tensions between the Middle Eastern countries further the president’s long-stated goals and does not represent a significant change in China’s role in the region.
