Bipartisan Bill Would Curb Climate-Harming HFCs

A bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Tom Carper (D-DE) today introduced the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, backed by industry and environmentalists, that would phase down the production of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, nationwide.

David Doniger, senior strategic director, Climate and Clean Energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, made the following statement:

“The AIM Act shows that industry, environmentalists, and lawmakers can work together to phase down harmful HFCs and help the United States maintain its leadership in replacing them with climate-friendlier alternatives.”

Background:

The AIM bill requires EPA to phase down production and import of harmful HFCs on an agreed schedule.  It allows EPA to accelerate that schedule based on science and the availability of climate-friendlier alternatives; to replace HFCs in specific uses; and to set HFC leak prevention and disposal regulations. The bill is modeled on successful Clean Air Act provisions for phasing out CFCs and other ozone-destroying chemicals.

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are industrial chemicals used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and other applications.  Pound-for-pound, they have hundreds to thousands of times the heat-trapping impact of carbon dioxide. Available alternatives have a fraction of that impact, and new products using them can also significantly increase energy efficiency. 

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at NRDC.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​