Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement on the bipartisan ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement to replace products harming the ozone layer:
“A generation ago, the United States was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty to limit pollutants tearing a hole in the ozone layer. Its resounding success proved that U.S. leadership is indispensable to uniting the world against common threats to our environment in a way that creates jobs and saves lives here at home.
“Today’s bipartisan ratification of the Kigali Amendment strengthens the Protocol along with America’s competitiveness and climate leadership. It affirms the U.S. commitment to phase down hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gases harming our climate. It will reduce our dependence on foreign imports from nations like China, create jobs, and protect access to key global markets for U.S. businesses. Combined with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, this vote further positions America to lead the fight against climate change and set a global example for how to protect our planet and strengthen our economy.”
In 2020, Bennet supported passage of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act that gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to implement a national phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). In April 2020, he joined a bipartisan letter urging ratification of the Kigali Amendment.