Congress must start addressing the issue meaningfully. And they can do just that, right now, by joining 129 countries and ratifying the Kigali Amendment – an amendment that sets targets for every nation to phase down climate-polluting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the synthetic chemicals used in cooling appliances, insulating foams, and more.

Here’s the breakdown – HFCs are a short-lived climate pollutant. Like carbon dioxide, their increased presence in our atmosphere enhances global warming. They remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time, yet their potential to warm the atmosphere can be many times greater – so much so that HFCs are actually called “climate super-pollutants”.

Ratifying the Kigali Amendment and phasing out HFCs will prevent up to half a degree Celsius of warming by the end of this century – that is a huge deal, and necessary.

The Kigali Amendment is something the Senate can ratify and work towards right now – it has U.S. business support, bipartisan support, and global support. This is what we’re talking about when we say ‘immediate climate action’. This is what we must hold our elected leaders to.