Barack Obama used his executive authority to fight climate change once again on Thursday, targeting the powerful "super pollutants" used in air conditioners and refrigerators that account for a rising share of carbon pollution.

The suite of measures rolled out on Thursday would avoid up to 1bn tonnes of carbon pollution globally by 2025 – and help set the stage for a strong deal to fight climate change in Paris in December, White House officials said.

Hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used in air conditioners, refrigerators and fire extinguishing foams, are one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases in terms of climate change – because they are up to 10,000 times more warming than carbon dioxide.

And their use is rising rapidly. In the US alone, HFC emissions are expected to triple by 2030, the White House said, and their use is expanding in developing countries like India and China as well. Left unchecked, HFCs will account for 20% of global warming by mid-century.