Old Refrigerants Are a Hidden Climate Risk -Modern AC Technology Is the Silent Solution
Why Refrigerant Type Matters
When people think about air-conditioning (AC), they usually think about comfort, temperature control, energy bills. Rarely do they consider the substance inside the unit - the refrigerant, and yet that small component can be one of the single biggest contributors to a system’s climate impact if released or leaked. In the HVAC industry, refrigerants are measured not only by their effectiveness for cooling, but by their Global Warming Potential (GWP) - essentially a metric that estimates how much heat a given refrigerant will add to the atmosphere over time relative to carbon dioxide.
Many legacy and older AC units still operate using refrigerants like R-410A. While such refrigerants are widely used and considered "safe" when properly handled and maintained, GWP metrics tell a different story regarding climate impact: R-410A’s GWP is approximately 2,088.
Even older systems may use refrigerants such as R-407C (or earlier generation refrigerants). These older refrigerants often have comparable - sometimes even higher - GWP and a correspondingly heavy climate footprint compared with newer refrigerants.
What this means in practical terms is that every kilo of refrigerant lost (through leaks, servicing mishaps, or disposal) from an HVAC system using R-410A or older refrigerants can have a large climate penalty.
Modern Refrigerants: Lower GWP, Lower Impact
The good news: modern air-conditioning and heat-pump systems increasingly make use of refrigerants with significantly lower GWP - notably R-32, which has a GWP of roughly 675. This represents a dramatic reduction in potential greenhouse-gas emissions compared with older refrigerants.
By upgrading to systems built around low-GWP refrigerants like R-32, property owners reduce the climate risk associated with leaks or refrigerant emissions. They also future-proof their heating and cooling infrastructure against likely regulatory and market shifts toward sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Regulatory Pressure & Future of Cooling Systems in the UK
In the UK (and across many international jurisdictions), there is increasing pressure to reduce emissions, including those associated with heating, cooling, and building management systems. Regulatory frameworks - such as those governing synthetic refrigerants (e.g. F-Gas regulations) - are tightening, with high-GWP refrigerants gradually being phased down or restricted.
What this means for owners of legacy AC systems:
Maintenance costs and compliance burdens may increase over time, especially as legislation around refrigerants becomes stricter.
Failure to upgrade may lead to needing retrofit work, higher servicing costs, or full system replacement under regulatory pressure.
New buildings, renovations, or system upgrades are increasingly expected to use refrigerants that align with carbon reduction and sustainability targets.
At the same time, replacing outdated systems is often justified not only on environmental grounds, but on long-term economic and operational ones: modern systems using low-GWP refrigerants tend to run more efficiently, reliably, and with lower leak/maintenance risk.
Free Assessment & Upgrade Offer
We recognize that many property owners don’t even know what refrigerant sits in their AC units, or whether their system might be contributing disproportionately to greenhouse emissions. That’s why we offer:
A completely free assessment of your existing HVAC system - regardless of make or model. We’ll:
Identify what refrigerant your system uses
Check for leak integrity, efficiency, and compliance
Provide a clear report on its climate impact, performance, and remaining useful life
If we find that your system is using older high-GWP refrigerants (or is nearing end-of-life), we’ll also provide a full replacement proposal - detailing how a modern, low-GWP system can deliver better performance, lower emissions, and long-term savings.
The Bottom Line
Cooling your building should never mean heating the planet.
An air-conditioning system is more than a comfort device - it’s a long-term infrastructure decision. By choosing modern, low-GWP refrigerant systems, you reduce your carbon footprint, avoid future regulatory headaches, improve efficiency, and invest in equipment that’s built for today’s environmental realities.
If you care about comfort and climate - get in touch. We’ll help you cool responsibly, efficiently, and sustainably.
* Refrigerants such as R-410A (and even R-407C or earlier variants) remain technically functional and safe when properly installed and maintained. Especially in large commercial or industrial HVAC systems, R-410A may still be chosen over R-32 or other refrigerants for operational reasons (e.g. required capacities, system design, refrigerant availability, safety regulations, or charge size considerations).
1. R-410A (≈ 2,088 GWP), R-407C (≈ 1,774 GWP) and R-32 (≈ 675 GWP) values are based on IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) refrigerant tables widely used in UK/EU F-Gas regulatory documentation.
2. For compliance, safety, installation standards and refrigerant-handling licensing under UK HFC regulation, guidance is provided by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other regulatory bodies responsible for F-Gas enforcement.
3. Comparative refrigerant and system-specification data - including efficiency, charge size, leak risk, and GWP values - are regularly published in technical datasheets and product catalogues by major HVAC manufacturers and vendors.