Climate Desk

Your Refrigerator Is Heating the Atmosphere

But a little-known accord struck at the G2-0 summit may soon change that.

Poltergeist fridge.
Poltergeist fridge.

Illustration by Slate; Photo by Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Thinkstock

The G-20 summit in St. Petersburg was dominated by disagreements about Syria. But leaders were also busy agreeing on something they rarely find common ground on: climate change. Thirty-five nations and the European Union decided to curb hydrofluorocarbons, a set of powerful heat-trapping gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, and insulation.