Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, EPA Administrator Michael Regan will announce the first major climate pollution rule under President Biden: an 85% reduction in hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 2036. HFCs are typically used as residential and commercial refrigerants but these superpollutant greenhouse gases are hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide. Phasing out HFCs is expected to avert 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) of global warming by the end of the century. The new rule, mandated in 2020 through the omnibus spending bill, aligns with the United State’s commitment in the 2016 international agreement known as the Kigali Amendment and has broad industry and bipartisan Congressional support.
In response, Sierra Club Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy Dr. Patrick Drupp released the following statement:
“Michael Regan is wasting no time in returning the EPA’s focus to protecting our health and the environment. In transitioning away from HFCs, we can avoid an estimated half degree centigrade of global warming while spurring technological innovation and creating thousands of jobs.
“President Biden campaigned and won on the strongest climate platform in history. Today’s proposed rule once again demonstrates that he has built an administration that is acting swiftly in getting the work done.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.