RAS question
Phase-Down of HFCs is governed by which amendment to the Montreal Protocol?
Correct answer: (C) Kigali Amendment.
The phase-down of HFCs under the Montreal Protocol is governed by the Kigali Amendment.
Explanation
The Kigali Amendment is the Montreal Protocol amendment that brought hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, under a phase-down regime. UNEP explains that HFCs were introduced as non-ozone-depleting alternatives during the CFC and HCFC phase-out, but some have very high global warming potential. At Kigali, Rwanda, on 15 October 2016, parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances and approved a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85 per cent by the late 2040s. This is why the answer is Kigali Amendment, not an earlier ozone-layer amendment. India ratified the amendment in 2021 and committed to reducing HFC production and consumption by 85% by 2047.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Copenhagen Amendment is wrong because it tightened the phase-out of CFCs rather than creating the HFC phase-down regime.
- (B) The London Amendment is wrong because it addressed CFCs, while the HFC phase-down was agreed later through the Kigali Amendment.
- (D) The Beijing Amendment is wrong because it dealt with HCFC-related controls, whereas HFCs were added to the controlled list through Kigali.
Concept
This tests international environmental agreements under Environment and Ecology, especially how the Montreal Protocol evolved from ozone-depleting substances to climate-relevant refrigerants. It recurs in RAS because amendments, target chemicals and India’s treaty commitments are frequently asked as direct factual linkages.