Refrigerant CO2 Equivalent

Refrigerant CO2 equivalent expresses the climate impact of a refrigerant charge or leak as the mass of CO2 with the same 100-year warming effect, computed as refrigerant mass times its global warming potential. R-134a carries a GWP of 1,430, so a 100 kg leak equals 143 tonnes CO2e; R-404A at GWP 3,922 is far worse. HFCs are phased down under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and the EU F-gas Regulation, pushing marine reefer and HVAC plant toward low-GWP options such as CO2 (R-744) and ammonia (R-717). Refrigerant loss is an emission source separate from fuel combustion.