The climate impact of cooling equipment, including fridges and air-conditioners, is two-fold: they use huge amounts of electricity and often rely on super-polluting refrigerant gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
In 2020, as part of the work of the COP26 High Level Champions, a Climate Action Pathway for Net-Zero Cooling was launched. This product list has been designed to support the netzero cooling transition and demonstrate the feasibility of urgent action. The product list provides a selection of products across all major cooling sectors, with a unique focus on ultra-low Global Warming Potential (GWP) natural refrigerants alongside appliance energy efficiency to help businesses, governments and consumers around the globe make sustainable cooling choices.
Further research and development will continue to improve the energy efficiency and cost competitiveness of products compatible with the pathway to net-zero. Some of the subsectors discussed in this report are much further along in this process than others which may require policy and industry intervention to accelerate the transition. Detailed information about the products on this list is available at EIA’s net-zero cooling product list website.