Washington Gov. Ferguson Signs Bill to Reduce Climate Super Pollutant Emissions
New law will help the economy move beyond hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants
OLYMPIA, WA – On May 17, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed new legislation aimed at reducing emissions from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are “climate super pollutants.”
If leaked or vented, each pound of HFCs traps as much heat in the atmosphere as 2000-4000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Fluorinated gases are used for many purposes but mainly as cooling and heating agents or refrigerants in air-conditioners, heat pumps, and cold chain refrigeration systems.
“This law protects the climate along with our economic security,” said Rep. Davina Duerr (D-Bothell), author of the legislation. “Refrigerants keep buildings comfortable and our food fresh. With this reform, we now have a fiscally responsible way to adapt to the global phasedown. The new law also provides market certainty, so people know what to do. I’m grateful for all the stakeholders who worked with me to get this law right.”
HB 1462 will help Washington businesses and other refrigeration system owners adapt to the ongoing global and national HFC phasedown in a low-cost, market-based manner. Congress passed the AIM Act—it has already reduced our HFC refrigerant production 40% in 2024. National supply goes down 70% in 2029, and further down to 85% below baseline in 2036.
“Because of Rep. Duerr’s vision, Washington state continues to lead the way in securing a future where HFC refrigerants no longer heat up the planet” said Dr. Richie Kaur, Senior Superpollutant Reduction Advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).
Industry estimates about 90% of HFCs in the US are vented into the atmosphere at the end of life, contributing billions of tons of CO2 equivalent to the climate crisis. Vented HFCs are also wasted—the phasedown means they cannot be replaced with newly produced HFCs at the same levels.
“Reducing climate pollution from HFCs has been a priority of mine,” said Rep. Beth Doglio (D-Olympia), chair of the House environment committee. “Passing this bill helps keep Washington in the lead as climate crisis response falls to the states.”
HB 1462 does NOT require anyone to buy new equipment or force premature retirement of existing heating or cooling systems. Instead, the bill increases supplies of recovered and reclaimed HFCs to offset the dwindling supply of new HFCs, making it more possible for refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump systems to be serviced throughout their full useful lifetime.
“The reality is homeowners in WA are going to need reclaimed HFCs for the next ten, fifteen, twenty years,” said Mike Armstrong, President of A-Gas. “This bill helps WA secure its own refrigerant supply.”
In addition to the market signals for greater HFC recovery and reuse, HB 1462 also solidifies the longer-term signal that the state needs to transition to ultra-low climate impact alternatives where possible by 2035. The bill gathers experts to guide the state in future rulemaking to ensure heating and cooling systems of the future are climate friendly and maintainable far into the future when HFCs have become obsolete.
“We supported HB 1462 for business reasons,” said Mike Wenrick, PCC Director of Purpose. “PCC Community markets has transitioned to carbon dioxide-based refrigeration in six of our grocery stores. Our power bills have gone down, and our climate footprint has gone down too.”
The new law was developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders including environmental organizations and industry associations representing air conditioning, refrigeration and heating manufacturers, distributors, contractors, reclaimers and end users including supermarkets and HVAC contractors.
“We applaud Washington’s new law as a critical step to reduce climate pollution and advance the transition away from harmful HFCs to better alternatives,” said Beth Porter, Senior Climate Policy Analyst at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA US). “HB 1462 will expand the supply of recovered refrigerants and position Washington to successfully navigate the global phasedown of these substances.”
Contact: Kari Birdseye, Regional Media Director, NRDC, [email protected]
Environmental Investigation Agency is an independent non-profit campaigning organization dedicated to identifying, investigating, and implementing solutions to protect endangered wildlife, forests, and the global climate. EIA Climate campaign is working to eliminate powerful greenhouse gases and improve energy efficiency in the cooling sector, and expose related illicit trade to campaign for new policies, improved governance, and more effective enforcement. EIA is based in Washington, DC. eia.org.
Contact: Holly Koch, Climate & Media Lead, EIA US, [email protected]