USA/China reaffirm HFC phase-down pledge

CHINA: The USA and China have reaffirmed their agreement to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs.

At the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, yesterday, US secretary of state John Kerry, US treasury secretary Jacob J Lew, and their Chinese counterparts state councillor Yang Jiechi and vice premier Wang Yang chaired a special joint session on climate change to review and strengthen efforts to tackle climate change and air pollution in both countries.

The US-China Climate Change Working Group also held a special event in Beijing to celebrate the achievements of private sector partnerships in a number of areas including reducing HFCs from refrigeration and air conditioning. Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to implement US president Obama and Chinese president Xi’s agreement last year to phase down the production and consumption of HFCs.