European F-Gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 sets a phase-out timetable for high-GWP refrigerants (global warming potential, meaning a refrigerant's greenhouse effect compared with CO2 over 100 years). R410A has a GWP of 2,088, R32 a GWP of 675: a 1 kg leak is equivalent to 675 or 2,088 kg of CO₂. Key dates: monobloc units of 12 kW or less can no longer be placed on the market with a refrigerant of GWP 150 or more from 1 January 2027; for air-to-air splits of 12 kW or less, the R32 prohibition (GWP 675) takes effect on 1 January 2029, followed by all fluorinated gases in 2035. For these small units, the alternative is R290 (propane), with a near-zero GWP; R454B (GWP 466) is only a transitional solution, as it also exceeds the threshold of 150. R32 equipment bought today can still be used and maintained, but this technology will disappear from the small split market in 2029.
Read the source article: What is the environmental impact of air conditioning?