The Phaseout of Cooling Sector Hydrofluorocarbons

A critical, but less known, contributor to the climate change problem is the usage of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), coolants widely used in air conditioning and refrigeration. The goal of this study is to explore the HFC issue from all sides—including chemical properties, atmospheric lifespan, global warming potential (GWP), current emissions, feasible alternatives, and mitigation efforts in the policy arena. HFCs were introduced after the Montreal Protocol was passed as a replacement for ozone-depleting CFCs and HCFCs, but they’ve had unintended consequences on the climate. Although their atmospheric lifetimes are relatively short (decaying within 10-100 years), they have very high global warming potentials (GWPs) and thus greatly enhance the atmospheric greenhouse effect. With the growing demand for residential cooling and increased access to air conditioning in developing countries, atmospheric HFC concentrations are expected to increase staggeringly if left unchecked. Emissions scenarios paint a bleak picture: baseline projections suggest up to 0.5°C of warming this century from HFCs alone, destroying any other efforts to limit global warming under 1.5ºC as called by Paris Agreement. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol was designed to add HFCs to the list of substances to be phased out. Most countries have ratified the amendment, but the US hasn’t. Despite resistance from the US federal government, states and private companies have rolled out their own phase-out policies. Now more than ever, it is of grave importance that countries work together to address the HFC issue, just as they came together 30 years ago to successfully deal with ozone hole threat via the Montreal Protocol.

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