DOVER — Taking aim at greenhouse gases and accelerating the state’s engagement in working to curtail global warming, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced Friday that a new hydrofluorocarbon regulation will be published Monday in the state’s Register of Regulations, with requirements for reducing harmful HFCs that go into effect Sept. 1.

DNREC said the new regulation establishes a schedule for the state to phase down specific HFCs used in air conditioning/refrigeration equipment, aerosols and foams. HFCs are hundreds to thousands of times more potent per unit of mass than carbon dioxide in contributing to climate change. HFC emissions are growing at a rate of 8% per year, and the regulation will address the critical need to phase down their use, DNREC said.

The phase-down schedule and the requirements contained in the new HFC regulation were informed by a strong stakeholder engagement process. Through it, nongovernment organizations and industry association representatives worked with DNREC to tailor the regulation to reflect technology feasibility and additional environmental, industrial and economic considerations.

In concert with the regulatory effort for reducing greenhouse gases, the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy has developed the “Cool Switch” Low Impact Refrigerant Program that offers incentives to offset the initial costs of switching to new equipment or retrofitting existing equipment to use a low-global-warming potential refrigerant.

More information about the new HFC regulation and Cool Switch HFC program can be found on the DNREC website.