Section 01 Alternatives to HCFCs in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector 8 Executive Summary Th e phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), one of the most aggressive Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), is now almost completed in accordance with the Montreal Protocol. The focus is now gradually shifting towards the phase-out hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) whose phase-out schedule has been accelerated by the Parties to the Protocol in Spetember 2007 through Decision XIX/6. Developing countries operating under Article 5 of the Protocol (Article 5 countries) now have to freeze by 2013 their HCFC production and consumption to the average of their 2009-2010 levels followed by a 10 percent reduction by 2015; 35 percent by 2020; 67.5 percent by 2025 and a 100 percent phase-out by 2030 (with 2.5 percent allowed, if necessary, for servicing existing equipment until 2040). The same decision requires developed countries to accelerate their phase-out schedule by 10 years to completely eliminate HCFCs by 2020) with 0.5 percent allowed, if necessary, for servicing existing equipment until 2030). HCFCs are widely used as a refrigerant in refrigeration and air conditioning systems and equipment as well as a blowing agent in the flexible and rigid foam sector. The first target in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector should be to minimize the installation of new HCFC systems. Considering that the pre-charged air conditioning systems constitute the biggest sub-sector, minimising their production will create a specific challenge in non-producing Article 5 countries. The amount of HCFCs contained in these systems when imported will not be included in the calculation of the importing country’s HCFC consumption baseline for the years of 2009-2010. However as these systems grow old, demand for HCFCs to service them will increase significantly, particularly after the freeze in 2013 and throughout the phase-out period. On the other hand, countries that export pre-charged systems will start with a high HCFC consumption baseline but they will be able to comply easily with the phase-out schedule by simply converting their production processes to use non–ODS technologies. There are well established alternative substances to R-22 applications in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. The prominent group of alternative substances are HFCs which are synthetic refrigerants with similar characteristics to HCFCs but no ozone depleting potential (ODP). As HFCs have a high global warming potential (GWP) there is a strong interest to minimize the introduction and emissions of HFCs. Other alternatives with lower or near zero ODP are available but are all associated with challenges that have to be overcome in order for them to play a major role on the market. Alternatives with