Monday announced by the responsible forEnvironmental Protection Agency, Michael Reagan, the new regulations aim to reduce production and import HFC By 85% in 15 years.
With this suggestion, theEnvironmental Protection Agency He took another important step on President Biden’s ambitious agenda to tackle the climate crisis
He said in a statement.
The new goal is also part of President Joe Biden’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States. 50 to 52% by 2030 Compared to the 2005 level, instead of the target of 26-28% by 2025 that Washington initially set.
Much more harmful than carbon dioxide2
In the eighties, HFC They have replaced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that help deplete the ozone layer, but these chemicals have been shown to be harmful to the climate.
Their greenhouse effect is 10,000 or even 15,000 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide (CO)2), According to experts.
For 2036 alone, the last milestone year planned, the Biden administration’s benchmark would ban the equivalent of 187 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.2, Which equates to annual greenhouse gas emissions for one in seven cars registered in the United States.
Under the new standards, the total reduction in emissions between 2022 and 2050 is expected to reach the equivalent of 4.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide.2, Which accounts for nearly three years of emissions from the US energy sector at 2019 levels, according to estimatesEnvironmental Protection Agency In her press release.
Like President Biden, who insists on the economic benefits of the transition to the environment, such as job creation, Michael Reagan argued that the decision Helping to cement the United States’ leadership in innovation and manufacture of new, climate-friendly products
.
In short, this measure is good for our planet and our economy.
Given the impacts on health and the environment (floods, droughts, forest fires, etc.), theEnvironmental Protection Agency The cumulative economic impact of its new standards is estimated at $ 285 billion by 2050.
Although dozens of US states have banned or restricted use HFCIt is the first time the federal government has imposed restrictions on these chemicals, according to Washington Post.
This goal is clearly shared by environmental groups, who have welcomed the announcement, but also by the business community.
Last December, before the new Congress was sworn in, elected officials approved measures to reduce the number of members of Congress. HFC, related with Inclusive law support Businesses and families affected by the epidemic.
Join the international convention on HFC
The incumbent president’s climate envoy, John Kerry, participated in the negotiations for the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol while he was head of US diplomacy.
Photo: Reuters / Kevin Lamarck
A few days after his inauguration, Joe Biden announced his intention to provide Senate approval for the International Treaty to Limit Hydrofluorocarbon Gases, Which the United States signed at the end of Barack Obama’s term, but did not ratify it during the era of his successor, Donald Trump.
The agreement known as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the convention, signed by more than 170 countries in October 2016, entered into force on 1 January 2016.he is January 2019.
President Biden’s current special envoy on climate, John Kerry, then Secretary of State, was one of the main negotiators for the deal, which set separate targets for different groups of countries.
Then developed countries, such as Canada, the United States and most of Europe, pledged to reduce the use of gas HFC 10% before 2019 and 85% before 2036.
The second and third groups, consisting of developing countries, have agreed to freeze their use HFC Until 2024 or 2028, before gradually reducing its consumption.
Addressing global warming
Tightening of standards on HFCs is the first major gesture of theEnvironmental Protection Agency To tackle global warming since President Joe Biden took office in January.
Nevertheless, the latter has taken several measures indicating the importance he attaches to this challenge: decrees on The United States returns to the Paris Agreement Or onEliminate subsidies that benefit the fossil fuel industry, To create a new, more ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, within a decade Virtual Climate Summit, To name only these elements.
His decision to appoint his Special Climate Envoy, John Kerry, to the National Security Council (NSC) sets another precedent: This is the first time that National Security Council It includes a director entirely dedicated to combating climate change.
Michael Reagan selected as president ofEnvironmental Protection Agency It is also a departure from the Trump era, with two successive executives being viewed as climate skeptical.
The administration of the former president also adopted several measures to expose the environmental legacy of the former occupier of the White House. Joe Biden, in turn, made several decisions that marked a major shift from his predecessor.
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