CARB approves SLCP reduction plan

In another demonstration of its leadership on climate issues in the United States, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved a plan to curb short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs).

CARB announced the decision in a statement released March 23.

Greenhouse gases such as HFCs, methane. and black carbon all fall under the remit of the SLCP Strategy, which is a crucial part of California’s broader framework for reducing all greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

SLCP gases are super pollutants that stay in the atmosphere for a shorter time than CO₂ yet have a much larger global warming potential (GWP), while (in the case of black carbon) negatively impacting public health with fine particle pollution.

The SLCP plan aims to reduce HFCs used in HVAC&R, insulation and propellants by 25% below business-as-usual emissions by 2020, and by 40%  below 2013 levels by 2030. In this respect, the strategy represents an opportunity to increase uptake of natural refrigerant-based HVAC&R systems as a replacement for HFC equipment.

“It’s bans in conjunction with incentives that present the most effective mechanism to [reduce HFCs],” said Derek Hamilton, vice-president, business development for shecco America, while testifying at CARB’s board meeting in Los Angeles. shecco America is a division of shecco, which owns the B2B websites R744.com, Hydrocarbons21.com and Ammonia21.com.

Last week, California State Senator Ricardo Lara, author of Senate Bill 605 requiring CARB to develop a SLCP strategy, issued a statement praising CARB's adoption of the SLCP plan.