The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued Thursday a final rule establishing “a comprehensive program to cap and phase down the production and consumption of climate-damaging hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)” in the US.
HFCs are potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, as well as foams and many other applications. The EPA said in a statement that “a global phasedown of HFCs is expected to avoid up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2100.” It added “this final rule will phase down the US production and consumption of HFCs by 85 percent over the next 15 years.”
In addition to implementing this “landmark” phasedown program, the US Administration is “marshalling a whole-of-government approach to prevent the illegal trade, production, use or sale of HFCs; support the transition to HFC alternatives through research and purchasing; and encourage the reclamation and recycling of HFCs from retired equipment, thus reducing further HFC production.” “Today EPA is taking a significant step forward to advance President Bidenآ‘s bold agenda to tackle the climate crisis,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “Cutting these climate آ’super pollutantsآ ‘protects our environment, strengthens our economy, and demonstrates that America is back when it comes to leading the world in addressing climate change and curbing global warming in the years ahead,” he affirmed. The EPA indicated that the “total emission reductions of the rule from 2022 to 2050 are projected to amount to the equivalent of 4.6 billion metric tons of CO2 “nearly equal to three years of US power sector emissions at 2019 levels.”
Source-KUNA
Read Today's News TODAY... on our Telegram Channel click here to join and receive all the latest updates t.me/thetimeskuwait
