Several governments launched the «Friends of the Kigali Amendment», a voluntary coalition led by Rwanda, in New York on 23 September 2026 during the UN General Assembly and Climate Week, Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment announced. The aim is to speed up implementation of the amendment and widen access to sustainable cooling.
The Kigali Amendment, adopted in the Rwandan capital in 2016 under the Montreal Protocol, provides for a global phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in fridges and air conditioning. It could avoid up to 0.5 °C of global warming by 2100. By August 2026 it had been ratified by 174 of the protocol’s 198 parties.
Rwanda, Brazil and the United Kingdom presented a communiqué with four priorities: strong implementation of the amendment, efficient cooling, more finance and technology, and renewed partnerships with industry. Several foundations, including the Sequoia Climate Foundation, announced a joint strategy and a US$100 million goal. The world’s stock of air conditioners is projected to grow from 1.6 billion in 2018 to 5.6 billion by 2050.
The coalition will meet again in Kigali in November, at the 38th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, which Rwanda will host.
