WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Obama administration said Tuesday it will slash emissions of hydroflourocarbons (HFCs), a potent greenhouse gas used to fuel refrigerators and air conditioners that contributes to global warming.

The White House joined twenty companies, including Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Target, Dupont and Honeywell, to scale down or eliminate HFCs in production chains. Subcontractors in federal offices will also phase down the use of HFCs.

The new commitments will reduce the equivalent of 700 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2025, equal to taking about 15 million cars off the road for ten years, the White House said.

HFCs are one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to climate change and are 10,0000 times stronger than CO2.

"Unless we act now, US HFC emissions are expected to nearly double by 2020 and triple by 2030," the White House said in a statement.

In June 2013, the US and China agreed to work together to reduce HFC emissions.

According to a report from Climate Analytics last year, the reduction of HFC gases could reduce global temperatures by half a degree by 2050.