Refrigerant gases consisting of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's), also referred to as Synthetic Greenhouse
Gases, were developed to replace ozone depleting refrigerants. Globally, the environmental focus has now
switched from 'ozone' to 'global warming potential' (GWP) and HFC based refrigerants are categorised as
high global warming gases.
Under the Australian Government's Clean Energy Future Plan, synthetic greenhouse gases listed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol - hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons (excluding gases produced from aluminium smelting) and sulfur hexafluoride (including equipment or products which contain these gases) - will have an equivalent carbon price applied through the existing Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management legislation.