Marshall Islands first to ratify greenhouse gas deal

The Marshall Islands, a Pacific archipelago highly exposed to climate-induced sea level rise, said Tuesday it was the first country to ratify a global pact to phase out planet-warming gases called HFCs. The Kigali Amendment on ending hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) was agreed by nearly 200 countries in the Rwandan capital last October, after years of talks. It must be officially ratified by 20 nations to enter into force.
"My country will not survive without urgent action to cut emissions by every country and every sector of our economies, including HFCs," President Hilda Heine said in a statement after parliament approved ratification of the amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol.