"E.P.A. to Announce Phase-Down of Powerful Greenhouse Gases"

"The Biden administration is moving quickly to limit hydrofluorocarbons, which are Earth-warming chemicals used in air-conditioning and refrigeration."

"WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday will take its first significant step to curb climate change, an agency spokesman confirmed, moving to phase down chemicals used in refrigeration and air-conditioning that are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide at warming the planet.

The proposed regulation aims to reduce the production and importation of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, in the United States by 85 percent over the next 15 years. It’s a goal shared by environmental groups and the business community, which jointly championed bipartisan legislation passed by Congress in December to tackle the pollutant.

The speed with which the E.P.A. is proposing the regulation underscores the level of attention the Biden administration is giving to climate change, said Francis Dietz, vice president for public affairs at the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, a trade group."

Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times May 3, 2021.

Source: NYTimes, 05/03/2021