--- title: Climate Change: HFC Emissions Grow While Carbon Falls description: Emissions of the HFC pollutant found in air conditioners and refrigerators rose rapidly in recent years while other GHG emissions fell canonical: https://time.com/4673826/greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-hfcs/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-16T20:49:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T03:23:21.591Z article:section: Science og:title: Climate Change: HFC Emissions Grow While Carbon Falls og:description: Emissions of the HFC pollutant found in air conditioners and refrigerators rose rapidly in recent years while other GHG emissions fell og:url: https://time.com/4673826/greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-hfcs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Climate Change: HFC Emissions Grow While Carbon Falls twitter:description: Emissions of the HFC pollutant found in air conditioners and refrigerators rose rapidly in recent years while other GHG emissions fell twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The One Greenhouse Gas That's On the Rise > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=901aa6c4-8bc9-4805-8317-380096544888&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=901aa6c4-8bc9-4805-8317-380096544888&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=901aa6c4-8bc9-4805-8317-380096544888&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 16, 2017 8:49 PM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 16, 2017 8:49 PM UTC In the most recent [accounting](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-02/documents/2017%5Fcomplete%5Freport.pdf) from the federal government, emissions of most climate change-causing greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and methane declined. But emissions of the [HFC pollutant](http://time.com/4421908/climate-change-hfcs-air-conditioning/) found in air conditioners and refrigerators have risen rapidly. The figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show a more than 2% overall decrease in greenhouse gas emissions between 2014 and 2015 as natural gas plants continue to replace their coal-fired counterparts. But use of HFCs—short for hydrofluorocarbons—rose more than 4% as they continue to replace other ozone-depleting chemicals. HFC emissions rose more than 45% in the decade following 2005. Scientists are concerned about the rise in HFC use because they are thousands of times more potent on a pound-per-pound basis than carbon dioxide (though in aggregate they contribute far less to climate change). New chemicals are being phased in to replace HFCs, though the process will take time. More than 170 countries agreed to a [landmark deal](http://time.com/4532377/climate-change-kigali-agreement-air-conditioners/) last year to stem HFC emissions that scientists say could stem 0.5°C (0.9°F) of warming 2100\. That would help the world get closer to achieving the goal enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement of keeping global temperature rise to 2°C (3.6°F). That’s the level scientists say can sustain the planet without seeing the worst effects of climate change. Both the Paris Agreement and last year’s HFC deal were hailed as significant global achievements when they were reached, but their futures were tossed into limbo with the election of President Donald Trump. The new American president has promised to “cancel” the [Paris Agreement](http://time.com/4146764/paris-agreement-climate-cop-21/) and remains skeptical of policies aimed at combating climate change. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4673826/greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-hfcs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4673826/greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-hfcs/"},"headline":"The One Greenhouse Gas That's On the Rise","datePublished":"2017-02-16T20:49:02.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T03:23:21.591Z","description":"Emissions of most greenhouse gases have fallen in recent years","url":"https://time.com/4673826/greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-hfcs/","keywords":["Environment","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4673826/greenhouse-gas-emissions-epa-hfcs/","name":"The One Greenhouse Gas That's On the Rise"}}]}] ```