Climate Pollutant Phase-Down Advances in House Subcommittee

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s environment and climate change panel on Thursday advanced a bill that would gradually phase down a powerful greenhouse gas commonly used as a refrigerant.

The American Innovation and Manufacturing Leadership Act (H.R. 5544) would step down the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—which have a global warming effect potentially thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide—and switch to newer, more climate-friendly refrigerants over 15 years.

The measure was approved by the subcommittee on a party-line 13-9 vote, with Democrats voting for the bill. A companion version has also been introduced in the ...