1018 views
Part of NRDC’s Year-End Series Reviewing 2020 Climate & Clean Energy Developments
Tucked into the omnibus end-of-year legislation that Congress is expected to pass Monday is a bill to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, potent climate-changing gases used in air conditioners, refrigerators, and many other applications and do great damage when released into the atmosphere. The groundbreaking new law, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, is the biggest action this Congress has taken to meet the climate crisis.
iStock
The AIM Act will cut our production and use of these chemicals by 85 percent over the next 15 years. By 2030 the bill will shrink U.S. annual heat-trapping emissions by the equivalent of around 150 million tons of carbon dioxide—that’s equal to the yearly emissions of more than 32 million cars. It’s also expected to create 33,000 jobs and spur $12.5 billion of new investments in the U.S. economy. These win-win statistics are a big reason for today’s success story. The bill was championed by dozens of senators and representatives in both parties and backed by a coalition ranging from the Natural Resources Defense Council to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.