An important agreement to an amendment in the Montreal Protocol was signed by almost 200 countries last week in Kigali, Rwanda, to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) usage and production which could stop a 0.5 °C rise in temperature by the end of the century.

HFCs are chemicals regarded as potent greenhouse gases that are used in household goods such as refrigerators and air conditioning. 

US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said in a statement that the signed protocol sends a message to industries and the private sector including entrepreneurs and innovators to continue investing in climate change solutions.

He added that the world is heading toward a more sustainable future. 

The Montreal Protocol is designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of potent greenhouse gases that deplete the ozone layer.

According to a factsheet on the amendment released by the US Whitehouse, countries will start to phase down HFCs from 2019 with a timeline that will see an 80 percent reduction globally by 2047.

It will also contribute toward the Paris Agreement goal to keep global temperature rising to under 2°C by the end of the century.