California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Lauren Sanchez have led a coalition of 17 attorneys general and the City of New York in opposing a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would ease restrictions on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are chemicals commonly used in refrigeration and cooling systems, recognized as one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions both in the United States and globally.
The EPA’s proposal would extend compliance deadlines by several years and increase allowable global warming potential (GWP) limits for certain refrigerants. The coalition argues that these changes would weaken existing regulations under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act), which aims to reduce HFC use by 85% by 2036.
“At a time when the world is facing record heat and devastating wildfires, rising sea levels, and extreme weather, going backwards is not an option. Increasing HFC emissions will only accelerate the damage already threatening our planet,” said Attorney General Bonta. “That’s why, today, we’re urging EPA to abandon its proposed rule, which would significantly delay the phaseout of HFCs and undermine important climate progress. Reducing this super pollutant, as required by the current regulations, will protect future generations and the planet.”
CARB Chair Lauren Sanchez added: “California has proven that reducing super-pollutants like hydrofluorocarbons is not only achievable but essential to protecting our communities from worsening climate impacts. Weakening these standards now would erase hard-won progress and ignore the tremendous investment states and industry have already made. We are calling on the EPA to follow science and the law to keep the nation on track by upholding the current rule.”
HFCs were initially seen as safer alternatives to ozone-depleting substances but were later found to have significant environmental risks due to their high global warming potential—hundreds or thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide over a century-long period. Scientists estimate that unchecked HFC emissions could contribute between 0.28 to 0.44 degrees Celsius to global surface warming by 2100.
Congress passed the AIM Act with bipartisan support in December 2020; it was signed into law by President Trump. The law provides guidelines for phasing out HFC production and consumption across various sectors using refrigerant gases with lower GWP values over time. Under current rules, new remote condensing systems used in food retail must use refrigerants with GWPs between 150–300 depending on system type; however, under EPA’s proposal this limit would rise sharply to allow refrigerants with GWPs up to 1,400 from January 1, 2026 until 2032.
The coalition contends that there is insufficient evidence supporting such relaxation aligns with Congress’ intent in passing the AIM Act.
California has been active in efforts to phase down HFC usage as part of its broader strategy against greenhouse gas emissions linked with severe environmental impacts statewide.
Alongside California officials leading this effort are Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell as well as attorneys general from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington; also included are representatives from Washington D.C., and New York City’s Chief Legal Officer.
