A relative measure comparing the greenhouse effect of refrigerants to carbon dioxide over a specific time period (typically 100 years). CO2 has GWP of 1 (baseline), while common refrigerants range dramatically: R404a (GWP 3,922), R134a (GWP 1,430), R290/propane (GWP 3), R744/CO2 (GWP 1). International treaties including the Kigali Amendment require phasing down high-GWP refrigerants, pushing the industry toward natural refrigerants and low-GWP alternatives. However, refrigerant environmental impact isn’t only about GWP – it includes energy efficiency (higher efficiency systems using R404a may have lower total climate impact than inefficient systems using low-GWP alternatives), leakage rates (systems that don’t leak have minimal environmental impact regardless of GWP), and lifecycle considerations including refrigerant reclamation. The frozen food industry’s focus on GWP often ignores that direct-drive TRUs waste 20-25% of fuel through inefficiency – emissions dwarfing refrigerant concerns. Professional environmental stewardship requires optimizing both refrigerant selection AND system efficiency rather than obsessing over GWP numbers while ignoring massive fuel waste.
Related Terms: CFC vs HFC Refrigerants, Carbon Offset (Cold Chain), Energy Efficiency (Cold Chain)