Immediate opportunity for large greenhouse gas emissions reductions with new mobile air conditioning refrigerants

Vehicle air conditioning, or “mobile air conditioning” (MAC), has a significant impact on the Earth's climate. HFC-134a, the predominant refrigerant in today's MAC, has a global warming potential (GWP) of 1430. MAC is responsible for a third of global HFC emissions and is the single largest user of HFC-134a. Fortunately, three technically and economically feasible low-GWP refrigerant alternatives exist, making MAC an immediate opportunity for non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emission reductions worldwide. This article presents cost-effective refrigerant alternatives and their potential for reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. It will also cover policies that have been enacted to date to encourage the switch.