The US along with 137 other nations have agreed to sharply reduce the production and use of HFCs most commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners|Antonio Mette|CC BY-SA 4.0

For the first time in 30 years, in a rare bipartisan deal, the Senate approved an international climate treaty on Wednesday, agreeing to cut the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

The US joined the Kigali Amendment by a majority vote (69-27) along with 137 other nations and has agreed to sharply reduce the production and use of HFCs—chemicals mostly used in air conditioners and refrigerators. HFCs act as greenhouse gases by trapping heat.

Scientists estimate that this amendment could prevent 0.5 degree Celsius of warming if implemented.