Shaheen, Bipartisan Group of Senators Push for Ratification of Kigali Amendment to Support U.S. Manufacturers

Press Release

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Senators led by Chris Coons (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) on a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to encourage ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) -- all members of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol would phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) -- a greenhouse gas with significant global warming potential. American companies and workers have demonstrated leadership in the transition to HFC substitutes and will have a competitive advantage if the United States ratifies the amendment. It is estimated that implementation of the Kigali Amendment will add 33,000 new jobs and $1.2 billion in direct output to the U.S. economy and generate a 25 percent increase in exports of American-made refrigerators, air conditioners, and other products.

"Ratification of this amendment would help secure America's place as a global leader in several manufacturing industries, and in turn give American products an advantage in the international marketplace," wrote the Senators. "Failure to ratify this amendment could allow our competitors to reap these benefits and may lead other countries to place import restrictions on American products."

The full text of the letter is available here.

Senator Shaheen is a leader in the Senate for safeguarding our environment and combating the effects of climate change. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Shaheen traveled to Paris to participate in high-level discussions at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference that led to the international Paris Climate Accord. Shaheen also introduced widely praised bipartisan legislation with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to save American homes and businesses billions of dollars in energy costs and dramatically reduce the United States' carbon footprint. Key provisions of this legislation were included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed into law. Shaheen is a founding member of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, which brings together an equal number of Republicans and Democrats to craft and advance bipartisan solutions to address climate change.

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