How does the U.S. Exit from Paris Agreement Affect the HFC Phasedown?

By now you’ve heard about the United States exiting the Paris climate agreement, also known as the Paris Accord, and many of you have questions about the impact this will have on the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in fire suppression including FM-200® and ECARO-25®. Prior to this action, the parties to the Paris climate treaty had agreed to remove HFCs from climate negotiations and have the HFC phasedown negotiated under the Montreal Protocol, the same treaty that phased out ozone-depleting substances. This action was taken because HFCs are used in the same industrial sectors as the ozone-depleting substances that have been, and continue to be, phased out under the Montreal Protocol. The framework for negotiations and the technical committees familiar with these sectors are already in place under the Montreal Protocol.

In October 2016, the parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to a global HFC phasedown and that agreement is still in place, unaffected by the recent action taken by the U.S. Administration. This fact sheet on the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (PDF, 1.02 MB) provides a comprehensive summary of the HFC phasedown that was agreed to in Kigali, Rwanda. It is important to note that the first HFC phasedown step for developed countries, including the United States, takes place in 2019, only 18 months away.

U.S. HFC producers, including Chemours, have been strong advocates of an HFC phasedown because sustainable alternatives to HFCs are available in many sectors and the phasedown provides the necessary market driver to meet business objectives. Because this Administration is supportive of U.S. business interests, we continue to expect HFCs to follow the path of halon.

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