EPA sets stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons used in refrigerators, air conditioners

The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners that contribute to global warming. A rule announced Tuesday will impose a 40% reduction in HFCs below historic levels starting next year, part of a global phaseout designed to slow climate change. The rule aligns with a 2020 law that calls for an 85% reduction in production and use of the climate-damaging chemicals by 2036. More than 130 countries, including the United States, have signed a 2016 global agreement to greatly reduce use and production of HFCs, which produce greenhouse gases thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide.