HFC

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) were introduced in the 1990s to replace CFCs and HCFCs (which destroyed the ozone layer, banned by the Montreal Protocol). Problem: their global warming potential (GWP) is very high: R410A at 2,088, R32 at 675, R134a at 1,430, compared with 1 for CO2. A leak of 1 kg of R410A equals the CO2 emitted by a car travelling 16,000 km. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (2016) requires an 85 % global HFC reduction by 2047. In Europe, the F-Gas Regulation (EU 2024/573) accelerates this timeline. Low-GWP alternatives: HFOs (hydrofluoroolefins, e.g. R454B), natural hydrocarbons (R290 propane, R600A isobutane), CO2 (R744), ammonia (R717).