As Parties to Montreal Protocol negotiate a global agreement for an HFC phase-down this year, several safety standards and building codes are threatening to limit the climate ambition and effectiveness of this agreement by blocking the uptake of low global warming potential (GWP), energy efficient alternatives to hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based cooling around the world. This briefing provides an introduction and overview of some key standards organizations with respect to refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC), how they are impacting the commercialization of low-GWP alternatives, and how these standards can be modified to both allow greater use of natural refrigerants and continue to protect human health and the environment.