Obama, Partners Plan to Emission Cuts
What do Dow Chemical, Fomo Products, Lapolla Industries and NCFI Polyurethanes have in common?
Answer: The companies are among more than a dozen that have recently partnered with the Obama Administration to reduce the production of greenhouse gases.
The White House announced its pledge in an Oct. 15 statement. In it, the administration said the new private-sector commitments are geared toward the reduction of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The administration also said it is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create a list of climate-friendly alternatives to HFCs. According to a recent article in The National Law Review, the EPA finalized a rule in July that prohibits certain HFCs and HFC blends from aerosols, refrigeration and air conditioning, as well as foam-blowing sectors.
EPA's new rule also bans HFCs that are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol. It is part of the agency's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP), which it uses to continuously review alternatives to products that are known to damage the ozone and replace them with healthier substitutes.
President’s Goal
“President Obama believes that no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change, and his Administration is committed to taking responsible steps to ensure that we leave our children a planet that is not polluted or damaged,” the White House said in the statement.
HFCs are factory-made chemicals that are found in air conditioners, refrigerators and foam insulation, among other products. They can be 10,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to climate change, the White House said.
The administration also said that the partnership announcement was being made bilaterally with China, India, Brazil and other countries in advance of the Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, scheduled for Nov. 5-9, in Dubai.
The U.S. has been working to negotiate an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down global productions of HFCs.
Private Company Commitments
The White House said the companies involved have committed to make these reductions: