EPA Announces Rollback of Climate Change Rules, Will Not Affect HFC Phasedown
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration last month proposed repealing the EPA’s 2009 “Endangerment Finding,” which declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health and welfare and provided the legal foundation for federal climate regulations under the Clean Air Act. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the plan, framing it as a way to eliminate over $1 trillion in regulatory costs, save $54 billion annually, and restore consumer choice, particularly in vehicle markets.
Repealing the finding would dismantle the basis for federal greenhouse gas rules covering vehicles, power plants, and industry, and is part of a broader deregulatory push that has already rolled back dozens of environmental protections. The proposal has triggered a 45-day public comment period and is expected to face extensive legal challenges, with critics warning it ignores established climate science, undermines public health, creates regulatory uncertainty, and could cause long-term economic harm. Proponents argue it will reduce burdens on businesses and consumers, while opponents see it as a politically driven move that could stall or reverse U.S. climate action.
HARDI's Vice President of Government Affairs Alex Ayers notes that while the future action to overturn the endangerment finding will have economy-wide impacts on climate change rules, the change will not impact the HFC phasedown. This is because the HFC phasedown is based on the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act.
According to HARDI:
"Through the AIM Act, Congress has directed the agency to phase down HFCs, regardless of the existence of the endangerment finding. Repealing that mandate would require another act of Congress, not an internal EPA rulemaking.
The AIM Act locks in specific reduction steps between now and 2036:
EPA’s allowance allocations for 2024 through 2028 are already on the books, and the agency is required to continue the phase down by statute. Even a successful rollback of the endangerment finding would not pause or rewrite this phasedown calendar.
Unlike the broad Clean Air Act provisions impacted by the endangerment finding, the AIM Act is laser-focused on a single class of chemicals: hydrofluorocarbons. EPA cannot use the AIM Act to regulate unrelated chemicals, nor can it disregard the phasedown schedule. This narrow scope was an industry ask of lawmakers, who wanted certainty for businesses making long-term refrigerant and equipment investments."
What it Means for the HVACR Industry
If the Trump administration succeeds in repealing the endangerment finding, the HVACR industry could see significant shifts in regulatory requirements, especially those tied to energy efficiency, refrigerant management, and greenhouse gas reductions. Without the legal mandate for the EPA to regulate emissions, future federal rules driving low-GWP refrigerant adoption, stricter efficiency standards, or electrification incentives could be delayed, weakened, or abandoned.
According to Ayers, for now, "the bottom line is simple: keep following the AIM Act requirements."