05/03/2021

Biden Administration Proposes Phase out of Climate-damaging Refrigerant

The move would play a big part in halving U.S. greenhouse gas emissions

On May 3, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule to slash the use of a potent climate-warming gas commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners by 85 percent over the next 15 years, a move it said will play a big part in U.S. plans to halve its greenhouse gas emissions this decade.

The proposal to curb the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) would keep the equivalent of 900 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from reaching the atmosphere over that period, it said, a climate impact similar to preventing the combustion of a trillion tons of coal.

“By phasing down HFCs, which can be hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet, EPA is taking a major action to help keep global temperature rise in check," said EPA Administrator Michael Regan.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Reuters.