SEEING IS BELIEVING: STATUS OF HFCs IN THE UNITED STATES

HFCs are a rapidly growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., with a projected 120% increase by 2030. While low-global warming potential (GWP) alternatives like HFOs and natural refrigerants exist and are used by some companies, market adoption is uneven due to high upfront costs and low consumer demand. The document recommends that the EPA use its SNAP program and Clean Air Act authority to phase out high-GWP HFCs and improve refrigerant recovery, while advocating for a global phase-down through the Montreal Protocol.

• HFC emissions in the United States are projected to increase by 120% from current levels by 2030.
• Low-GWP alternatives, including hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), HFO blends, and natural refrigerants like CO2 and hydrocarbons, typically have a GWP 50 to 99.9 percent lower than the HFCs they replace.
• Despite the availability of alternatives, the U.S. market is unlikely to transition rapidly without new rules or incentives because some alternatives have high upfront costs, require equipment replacement or facility redesign, and lack consumer demand.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could achieve a 10-40% reduction in HFC emissions by 2030 using measures that are at a break-even or negative price.
• Recommended domestic actions for the EPA include using the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program under the Clean Air Act to phase out high-GWP HFCs, accelerating the testing and approval of new chemicals, and extending servicing and disposal requirements to HFCs to increase capture and recycling.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). SEEING IS BELIEVING: STATUS OF HFCs IN THE UNITED STATES. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_HFCs.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. SEEING IS BELIEVING: STATUS OF HFCs IN THE UNITED STATES. n.d. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_HFCs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=SEEING IS BELIEVING: STATUS OF HFCs IN THE UNITED STATES |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_HFCs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendseeing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{SEEING IS BELIEVING: STATUS OF HFCs IN THE UNITED STATES}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_HFCs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }