What environmental issue is primarily addressed by the Kyoto Protocol regarding refrigerants?

The Kyoto Protocol primarily addresses climate change as it relates to greenhouse gas emissions, which include certain refrigerants that have high global warming potential (GWP). The protocol is an international treaty that commits its parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made CO2 emissions have caused it.

Refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) can contribute significantly to climate change when released into the atmosphere because many have a much higher GWP compared to carbon dioxide. As such, the Kyoto Protocol aims to manage and eventually phase out the use of these substances to mitigate their impacts on the climate.

The other options, while significant environmental issues, are not the primary focus of the Kyoto Protocol. Ozone depletion specifically relates to the need for agreements like the Montreal Protocol, which targets substances that deplete the ozone layer, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Air quality improvement and water pollution involve policies that address more localized environmental issues, rather than the global impact of greenhouse gases that the Kyoto Protocol seeks to combat.