CEI Report Debunks Myths Advanced by Special Interest Supporters of Kigali Amendment

Special interests supporting the Kigali Amendment, which would ban refrigerants widely used by consumers with air conditioning and businesses that rely on air conditioning and refrigerators, are spreading false claims that must be scrutinized, according to a new report out today by Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) Senior Fellow Ben Lieberman.  Supporters of the Kigali Amendment include some manufacturers of Kigali-compliant refrigerants and equipment and environmental activists and they are making demonstrably false claims to argue in favor of the White House submitting the amendment to the U.S. Senate for ratification.

In his paper, “The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol: Myth vs. Fact,” Lieberman takes the myths and arguments advanced by Kigali supporters and provides facts showing these claims to be false. The report comes out as some states, including New York, Maryland, and Connecticut, are pushing ahead with so-called “statewide phase-outs” of widely-used refrigerants, also called hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs, before the federal government decides whether to pursue ratification of the Kigali Amendment. 

“American consumers and businesses are regrettably being misled by special interests supporting the Kigali Amendment, including companies that stand to benefit financially from it, because these interests are spreading false claims to scare people into supporting ratification,” said Lieberman. “The truth is that the Kigali Amendment will needlessly impose costs ranging from hundreds of dollars per American household to thousands of dollars for small businesses that rely on refrigeration and air conditioning.”

Lieberman also points out that there is no legal or regulatory impediment to companies who have invested in Kigali-compliant refrigerants and equipment from introducing those products into the marketplace.

“The fact is, American companies are free to make Kigali-compliant products and equipment without the federal government imposing a cost-busting mandate that will cause consumers and small business owners to pay more out of their own paychecks,” said Lieberman. “The Trump Administration should reject the Kigali Amendment and allow the free market to offer consumers, small businesses and manufacturers a choice when it comes to refrigerants.”

>> View the report, The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol: Myth vs. Fact. 

More analysis from Ben Lieberman: Morning Consult: Washington’s War on Air Conditioning