A final deal to phase out hydrofluorocarbons—chemicals commonly used in heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems—has drawn a step nearer as negotiators from nearly 200 countries meeting in Vienna made progress on ending the use of HFCs, which are seen as a major cause of global warming.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told officials at the July 22 meeting that gradually bringing the use of HFCs to a halt “is one of the single-most important unitary steps that we could possibly take at this moment to stave off the worst impacts of climate change and to protect the future for people in every single corner of the globe.”