SACRAMENTO—California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) released a proposed strategy this week aimed at curbing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). ARB estimates that the proposed measures on HFCs will mitigate 260 MMTCO2e by 2030, equivalent to taking 55 million cars off the road for a year. These emission reductions are additional to existing and proposed federal regulations on HFCs. The proposal also follows last week’s Montreal Protocol meetings in Geneva where negotiations focused on progress toward a global agreement to phase down HFCs.
The proposal targets near term emission reductions that will help California meet its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets. Key measures in the proposed strategy that target HFCs include:
• A ban on the sale of all virgin HFC refrigerants with a global warming potential (GWP) above 2,500 beginning in 2020, exempting reclaimed or recycled refrigerants;
• A ban on new stationary refrigeration equipment using HFCs with a GWP of 150 or more, beginning in 2020 for non-residential and in 2021 for residential refrigerator-freezers;
• A ban on new air conditioning equipment using HFCs with GWPs of 750 or above starting in 2021;
• Financial incentives for installing low-GWP refrigeration systems;
• Potential for an independent California HFC phase-down schedule, should it prove necessary if a global agreement is not reached this year;
The strategy also underscores the need to reform U.S. codes and standards, drawing on successful practices from Europe and other jurisdictions that have demonstrated that codes can be designed to allow the safe use of low-GWP refrigerants, including hydrocarbons, in more residential and commercial applications.
“This is a comprehensive proposal that shows California is ready to lead the way toward a phase-down of HFCs,” said EIA Senior Policy Advisor Lisa Handy. “Global HFC emissions are increasing at an alarming rate of 10-15 percent annually, but if California, the eighth largest economy in the world, implements this proposed strategy, we will see an accelerated transition to more energy efficient, low-GWP alternatives.”
The proposed strategy is the result of a multi-year planning process and broad stakeholder input. In feedback provided on earlier drafts of the proposal, EIA has called on ARB to select the lowest feasible GWP thresholds for refrigerant and equipment bans and to time the measures to coincide with the phase-out of ozone depleting refrigerant HCFC-22.
“The 150 GWP threshold for stationary refrigeration and proposed start dates for the bans are well-aligned with the existing 2020 deadline for phasing out HCFC-22,” said EIA Climate Policy Analyst Christina Starr. “This should maximize transitions from old HCFC-22 systems directly to low-GWP refrigerants, particularly in commercial refrigeration.”
The proposed strategy is open for public comment and it will be subject to review and consideration by ARB’s Board before a final strategy is approved later this year.
Contact:
Maggie Dewane, EIA Press Officer, (202) 483-6621, mdewane@eia-global.org