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.
Join Hudson for a panel that will examine some of the tools that could help revitalize US investment in the region, including development finance, political risk insurance, and economic innovation zones.
Join Senior Fellow Matt Boyse for this discussion with Martin Vladimirov, director of the Energy and Climate Program at CSD, and Isaac Levi, Europe-Russia policy and energy analysis team lead at CREA. CSD Program Director Ruslan Stefanov will provide opening remarks.
Hudson will host an expert panel to discuss how increased technology collaboration will benefit the US and India and why these agreements could help both nations expand their partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
Join Hudson for an expert panel on how reliable and effective patent rights are the key to the America First agenda: growing the US innovation economy, creating jobs, and responding to challenges from global competitors like China.
