US (New York) - New Standards to Cut Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC)

​The Governor of the New York State announced that new regulations have been finalized to significantly reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in New York and help prevent these climate-altering gases from affecting the state's environment and public health. HFCs are a group of potent greenhouse gases found in an array of household and commercial refrigerant products like refrigerators, air conditioners, and consumer aerosol products.

The regulations ban the sale, installation, and commercial use of certain HFC refrigerants in new or retrofitted food refrigeration equipment, large air-conditioning equipment (or chillers), and vending machines, as well as prohibitions on substances used aerosol propellants and foam-blowing agents in new consumer products. The prohibitions will take place over the next four years and are expected to reduce HFC emissions by more than 20% of projected levels by 2030, or a cumulative total of 17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

The formal Notice of Adoption is being filed with the Department of State and is anticipated to appear in the State Register on October 14, 2020. The rule will be effective 30 days after filing, i.e. November 13, 2020.​