A group of 13 prominent Republicans are urging President Trump to send a global climate agreement that would eliminate the use of some refrigerants to the Senate for ratification.
“By sending this amendment to the Senate, you will help secure America’s place as the global leader in several manufacturing industries, and in turn give American workers an advantage against their competitors in the international marketplace,” according to the letter released Monday, but sent earlier in the month.
The Obama administration signed off on the agreement in Kigali, Rwanda, nearly two years ago, right before the 2016 presidential elections. The amendment to the 1982 Montreal Protocol would phase out the use of certain refrigerants used in air conditioning and other cooling systems because they have been found to exacerbate global warming.
Signing the deal was considered an important piece of the Obama administration climate change agenda after the Paris climate deal was signed in December 2015.
Manufacturers have been concerned that Trump may roll back the Kigali deal similar to his decision on the Paris Agreement. As other countries move to other refrigerant chemicals, U.S. companies would become uncompetitive globally if the U.S. does not sign on.
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01.27.2025