US Environmental Agency Proposes Reducing Hydrofluorocarbons Production, Import By 85%

The US Environmental Protection Agency on Monday proposed decreasing the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2021) The US Environmental Protection Agency on Monday proposed decreasing the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years.

"The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing its first rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020 to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and many other applications," EPA said in a release. "This phasedown will decrease the production and import of HFCs in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years."

The agency said HFC reduction will allow avoiding global warming of up to 0.

5 degree Celsius by 2100.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said HFC reduction can be potentially hundreds to thousands times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet.

EPA estimates that the cumulative benefits of the proposal will amount to $283.9 billion between 2022 and 2050 while the total emissions reduction in the same period will amount to 4.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, close to three years of the entire US power sector emissions at 2019 levels, the release noted.

During the Climate Summit on April 22, the President Joe Biden announced the US commitment to reduce national greenhouse gas emission by 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.