WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday proposed a rule to phase down the use of a potent greenhouse gas commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners by 85% over the next 15 years, a target that would avoid the equivalent of 900 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the next 15 years.
The proposal comes as a result of a law passed by Congress in December 2020 that was tucked into an omnibus spending bill, which directed the EPA to issue regulations phasing down HFC production and establish an import schedule over the next 15 years.
The rule includes “allocations” for each HFC producer and importer that ensure that the U.S. stays on course to meet the phase out limits.
“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. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
