Today the United States, Canada, and Mexico submitted an amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are rapidly increasing in the atmosphere due to rising demand for refrigeration and air conditioning, and as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances. The proposed amendment provides significant global benefit. If adopted, it could yield reductions of over 90 gigatons of carbon dioxide-equivalent through 2050, roughly equivalent to two years of current annual emissions of all greenhouse gases.

For more information on the Montreal Protocol and North American Amendment, please see http://www.state.gov/e/oes/eqt/chemicalpollution/83007.htm