The Trump administration recently unveiled plans to ease a critical environmental regulation from the Biden era. This rule, designed to rapidly phase out specific potent greenhouse gases found in cooling systems, affects a wide range of industries, including grocery stores, air-conditioning manufacturers, and even semiconductor fabrication plants.
This new proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims to undo what was largely seen as a bipartisan climate victory: a consensus to quickly reduce man-made chemicals known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). These substances are recognized for their severe impact on global warming.
Often dubbed ‘super pollutants,’ HFCs are alarmingly powerful, contributing thousands of times more to global warming than carbon dioxide.
However, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin argues that the Biden administration’s original timeline, which aimed for an 85% reduction in HFC production and consumption by 2036, was too aggressive. He claims that the swift transition to alternative refrigerants led to shortages, leaving many homes without air conditioning during peak summer heat. The air-conditioning industry, however, largely disputes the severity of these claims.
In a public statement, Zeldin asserted that the EPA’s revised plan seeks to restore affordability, safety, and reliability to American refrigerants.
This proposal emerged just as a government shutdown loomed, a result of a budget impasse between President Trump and Democrats. A federal furlough could halt progress on all current regulations, potentially delaying Zeldin’s broader agenda to roll back numerous climate protections established during the previous administration.
Globally, eliminating HFCs could prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming by the century’s end, a significant step in mitigating climate change’s most severe impacts. Ironically, it was President Trump himself, during his initial term, who enacted legislation instructing the EPA to curtail this climate pollutant. This directive was part of a larger Covid-19 relief package passed just before his presidency concluded.
The Biden administration, tasked with implementing this law, aimed to eliminate the equivalent of 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, a volume comparable to three years’ worth of emissions from the entire electricity sector.
In contrast to contentious fossil fuel debates, HFC reduction strategies have historically garnered wide support across the political spectrum, from both Democrats and Republicans, as well as from diverse industry and environmental groups. Proponents argued that with other nations transitioning away from HFCs, the Biden rule would safeguard the substantial $206-billion-a-year cooling industry by ensuring fair competition and fostering the adoption of eco-friendly alternatives.
Francis Dietz, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, expressed approval for the regulations established under the Biden administration.
Dietz challenged the Trump administration’s assertions regarding a critical shortage of HFC alternatives, clarifying that while a temporary shortfall occurred earlier in the year, it has since been resolved. He further warned that delaying compliance could destabilize planning and investment for American manufacturers, many of whom have already adapted their production and supply chains to the existing schedule.
He emphasized the industry’s desire for regulatory stability, stating, “We wanted certainty and we had it and now we don’t, potentially.”
Conversely, a significant number of grocery store operators had advocated for changes and welcomed the Trump administration’s proposal.
Leslie G. Sarasin, President and CEO of the Food Industry Association, lauded the Trump plan, asserting that the previous Biden rule had set “significant and unrealistic compliance timelines.” She indicated that the new plan would achieve environmental goals without imposing undue financial and operational strain on the food sector.
Specifically, the proposal could grant an additional five years for residential air conditioning, retail food refrigeration, cold storage warehouses, and semiconductor manufacturing to transition to alternative coolants.
Environmental advocacy groups, however, contend that these adjustments would have minimal benefits for businesses while posing substantial risks to the climate.
David Doniger, Senior Strategic Director of the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization, dismissed the economic arguments, remarking, “This is not going to make potato chips or computer chips any cheaper.”
He emphasized the danger, stating that “These are extremely powerful greenhouse gases” that will now remain in the atmosphere for a longer duration.
The public will have 45 days to submit comments once the proposal is published in the Federal Register. The EPA also announced that a virtual public hearing will be held to discuss the plans before any final decisions are made.