Illegal wood in PNSD and Yavarí Tapiche

U.S. Policy Solutions

To be a true leader in global efforts to eliminate HFCs, the United States must implement ambitious and comprehensive policies to transition cooling technologies and control refrigerant emissions from cradle to grave. 

EIA works at the national, state and local levels to develop and advocate for innovative policy solutions, and ensure effective implementation and enforcement. This includes engaging federal policymakers to implement the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020 and other regulatory mechanisms under the Clean Air Act. We also work at the state and local level to raise the bar for federal action by engaging with leading states in  the U.S. Climate Alliance, including California, Washington, and New York.

Policy solutions to eliminate HFC emissions must focus on these key areas: 

  • Reduce new HFC production and consumption 
  • Transition cooling and heat pump technologies to alternatives 
  • Prevent, detect, and repair leaks 
  • Maximize refrigerant recovery, reuse, and proper disposal 
  • Ensure a just transition and protect marginalized communities from potential health impacts in the production and use of HFCs and alternatives 

Related Resources

Press Release

U.S. Proposes to Slash Super-Greenhouse Gases in New Refrigerators and Air Conditioners

Washington DC— Responding to a petition from EIA and others, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposed rulemaking to ban the use of many super-pollutant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in new air conditioners, refrigeration as well as foams and aerosols. The estimated additional emission reductions of the rule are up to 903 million […]

Press Release

New Report: Chemical Nightmare – Ending emissions of fluorochemical greenhouse gases

WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ENVIRONMENTAL TREATY THREATENED BY A CHEMICAL NIGHTMARE OF HARMFUL GAS EMISSIONS MONTREAL: A deadly cocktail of unexplained chemical gases harmful to the Earth’s ozone layer and climate is building up in the atmosphere, a new report warns. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report Chemical Nightmare – Ending emissions of fluorochemical greenhouse gases is released as […]

Report

Chemical Nightmare – Ending emissions of fluorochemical greenhouse gases

In 2018, scientists revealed alarming, unexpected emissions of CFC-11, a potent ozone-depleting substance (ODS) which had been banned for nearly a decade. EIA investigations traced the source of CFC-11 to illegal production and use in the polyurethane foam sector in China, which had gone undetected for years by the Montreal Protocol’s existing monitoring and compliance […]

Report

Preventing Illegal Trade of HFCs: AIM Act Fact Sheet

This fact sheet examines the unique compliance and enforcement features of the 2021 allowance system developed to implement the Kigali Amendment in the United States. This serves as just one example for countries to consider as they improve and modernize previous domestic licensing and allowance systems designed for ODS, to ensure the successful phase down […]

Blog

A New Plan to Keep the Lid on 90 Billion Tons of Fluorocarbons

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), and the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) launched a joint report today laying out a path to capture planet-warming fluorocarbon gases from inside old air conditioners and refrigerators, an effort that in the U.S. could stave off as much climate pollution as […]

Report

LRM: The 90 Billion Ton Opportunity

The 90 Billion Ton Opportunity: Lifecycle Refrigerant Management lays out tangible interventions for federal and state policymakers, major corporations, and equipment owners and operators to minimize refrigerant leaks and maximize end-of-life recovery and reclamation. Embracing Lifecycle Refrigerant Management globally can prevent fluorocarbon emissions equal to 90 billion metric tons of CO2 this century—nearly three full years […]