WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which affirms U.S. commitment to phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85% over the next 15 years. HFCs are highly potent greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere 1,000 times more effectively than carbon dioxide:

“Phasing out harmful HFCs is not only good for the planet – it’s good for American business and will ensure we maintain a competitive edge on the global market. Super pollutants are some the most aggressive contributors to climate change, and we need to do more to address these dangerous chemicals head on. It’s taken too long for the United States to join the 137 other countries who have already ratified the Kigali Amendment, but with today’s action coupled with the Inflation Reduction Act, America is once again leading the fight against climate change,” said Murphy.

In 2016, Murphy urged Secretary of State John Kerry and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to take a strong position to rapidly phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) at the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda, and he hailed the adoption of the amendment. Murphy sponsored the Super Pollutants Act of 2019 along with U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), which aims to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants like HFCs.

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