USA: Industry and green groups have applauded the passage through Congress of a bill to phase down HFC refrigerants.

Manufacturers’ group, the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), has expressed its gratitude to House and Senate negotiators involved in pushing the bipartisan initiative through. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) described the bill “as the most significant climate legislation to pass in the US congress in over a decade”.

The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020, along with other sustainable energy measures, was tacked onto a $900bn pandemic relief package passed by Congress on Monday night. The bill, which still needs to be signed off by President Donald Trump, will bring the USA into line with the Kigali Amendment and an 85% cut from the baseline in 2035.