The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in the United States has released a proposal to establish an allocation system to decrease the production and importation of HFCs by 85 per cent over the next 15 years.
It is the first step to implementing the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020, the new climate law that sets the US on course for compliance with the international HFC phase down under the Kigali Amendment.
The AIM Act directs the EPA to sharply reduce production and consumption of HFCs by using an allowance allocation and trading program.
The proposals list 18 of the higher GWP HFCs including R134a, R32, R125, R143a, R23, R152, and R152a.
EPA administrator Michael S Regan said the proposal is a significant step forward under US President Joe Biden’s ambitious agenda to address climate change.
The phase down will be based on a baseline figure which will be derived from historical HFC production and consumption data. From this, the EPA will establish yearly allocation allowances.
It is intended that the production and consumption phase down will be effective from January 1, 2022, under the following timetable: 2022 to 2023 90 per cent; 2024 to 2028 60 per cent; 2029 to 2033 30 per cent; 2034 to 2035 20 per cent; 2036 and thereafter 15 per cent.
The EPA is also proposing a ban on the use of disposable cylinders, which is currently in place in Australia, the European Union and Canada.