Highlights and images for 26 October 2023

The high-level segment (HLS) of the thirty-fifth Meeting of the Parties (MOP 35) opened on Thursday, with an energetic dance performance giving delegates the shot in the arm they needed to make progress on their agenda.

In plenary, Hassan Mubarak (Bahrain), MOP 34 President, opened the HLS, and highlighted progress on the Kigali Amendment, with 155 states having ratified and 43 pending, urging the outstanding countries to do so. As outgoing President, he thanked delegates for their dedicated work and commitment to the process.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

In her address, Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, lauded the Montreal Protocol, highlighting its remarkable three-decade legacy in phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and protecting ecosystems that store carbon, thereby mitigating climate change.

Roselinda Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Kenya, announced that the country recently ratified the Kigali Amendment, becoming its 153rd party. She drew attention to the National Cooling Action Plan, designed to enhance access to sustainable cooling as part of Kenya’s climate action endeavors.

The Assessment Panels of the Montreal Protocol gave informative presentations on emissions and projections for ODS and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the Protocol’s contributions to environmental sustainability and human health and well-being, and on the state of ODS and HFC use in various economic sectors.

In the post-presentation discussions, delegates addressed some of the real-world uses of ODS, considering, among others, the climate impacts of metered-dose inhalers used in management of asthma. Panel members noted the growing awareness of patients of these impacts but underscored that alternatives to these inhalers are not widely available globally, and the costs to transitioning to these alternatives might be quite high.

Delegates then heard national statements, where parties shared measures to implement the Protocol and the Kigali Amendment.

In parallel, contact groups and informal discussions took place, with delegates making progress on a number of key issues. They met at various points throughout the day to address, among others:

• the budget;
• replenishment of the Multilateral Fund (MLF);
• the terms of reference for the next Quadrennial Assessment;
• carbon tetratchloride and feedstocks;
• emissions from hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23);
• proposed adjustments to the Protocol occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic;
• energy efficiency;
• illegal trade;
• dumping of equipment containing obsolete material;
• very short-lived substances, and quarantine and pre-shipment uses of methyl bromide for which there are alternatives; and
• lifecycle refrigerant management.

The Preparatory Segment convened briefly in the late afternoon, with contact and informal groups reporting progress in their respective discussions, and calling for more time to complete their work. Some groups reconvened into the evening, with others scheduled to complete their work on Friday.