Agreement Reached on Hydrofluorocarbon Phase-Out
Nearly 200 countries have agreed to cut the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—used in refrigerants and cooling and ventilation systems—by more than 80% over the next 80 years.
Parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the HFC amendment on Oct. 15, after a week of meetings in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to the White House, the deal will avoid the production of more than 80 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and could avoid up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100.
The agreement builds on last year’s negotiations, which set the stage for an HFC phase-out but did not resolve differences over compliance timetables. The final agreement gives more time for developing nations, including China, to comply.
Industry and environmental groups back the deal. Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, said in a statement that his organization has long supported a global phase-out of HFCs.
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