A loose coalition of more than 100 countries, including the U.S. and European nations, is pushing for an early phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a powerful greenhouse gas that if left unchecked is set to add a potentially disastrous 0.5°C to global temperatures by the end of the century.
At a meeting in New York on Thursday, world leaders called for an “ambitious phase-down schedule” for HFCs, which are commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioning systems, and pledged adaptation money for developing nations where HFC use is rapidly increasing.
A group of 16 countries, including the U.S., UK, Japan, Germany and Australia, has agreed to provide $27 million next year to help support an early end to HFCs. Private philanthropists have pitched in even more, pledging $53 million to efforts to promote energy efficient alternatives.
