The UK has committed to limiting emissions of a super greenhouse gas.

It is part of the Kigali Amendment to the UN Montreal Protocol, which was agreed by more than 150 nations in October last year to reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85% between 2019 and 2036.

HFCs are a powerful greenhouse gas commonly found in fridges and air conditioning units.

The UK Government said it has started the process of ratifying the pact.

The nation, along with the rest of the EU, has already started to phase down HFCs under EU law which requires a 79% cut in the super greenhouse gas placed on the market between 2015 and 2030.

The Montreal Protocol is expected to result in an additional UK reduction of equivalent to around 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide beyond what would be achieved under the EU regulation alone.

The government estimated the value of that carbon savings is estimated at around £1.56 billion and the cost at around £390 million, therefore representing a net benefit of £1.17 billion to the UK.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove added: “Not only will this deal reduce global carbon emissions by the equivalent of around 70 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050 – the same as 600 coal-fired power stations would produce during that time – it will also help to protect our health, our agriculture and the wider environment.”