Increasing recognition and acknowledgment of the environmental impact associated with the use of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment has brought about changes in the composition of refrigerant gases and in the way they are being used. This heightened awareness on the part of end users and consumers is playing an important role in accelerating these changes through corporate responsibility agendas, 
although the evolution of the industry is primarily being driven by legislation introduced to limit ozone depletion and global warming.
Refrigerant gases are used as a heat exchange material in equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning systems. The refrigerant gas is pumped around a closed loop, being repeatedly evaporated and condensed and transferring heat away from where it is not required.
The original chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were highly efficient refrigerants: their negative environmental impact, however, has led to legislative control. CFCs are now banned from use in refrigeration applications globally, and HCFCs are in the process of being phased out. Many countries have been phasing out HCFCs for years and the transition is nearly complete. For example, the EU banned the sale of new HCFCs in 2010. Emerging economies are starting to phase out HCFCs beginning in 2013. However, while their common replacement, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), provide a non-ozone depleting solution, they still have a relatively high global warming potential (GWP).
“Global warming is the leading environmental concern of the 21st century,” says Jon Black, Global Head of Chemicals and Refrigerants, Linde Gases Division. “In refrigeration applications, there are two causes of global warming—indirect release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere as a result of energy use, and direct release of harmful refrigerant gases to the atmosphere from leakages, breakdowns, or poor servicing practices. The combination of these two effects is often referred to as the “total equivalent warming impact” (TEWI).
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