Refrigerant leak to CO2e calculator
Work it out
Pick the refrigerant and enter the quantity lost. The figure updates as you type.
Uses IPCC AR4 GWP values, the basis listed in the Kigali Amendment's Annex F and used throughout this site.
Ten kilograms of each, for comparison
The same loss produces very different reported emissions depending on the fluid, which is the whole argument for lower-GWP refrigerants.
| Refrigerant | GWP (AR4) | 10 kg leaked = t CO₂e |
|---|---|---|
| R-22 | 1,810 | 18.1 |
| R-32 | 675 | 6.8 |
| R-410A | 2,088 | 20.9 |
| R-134a | 1,430 | 14.3 |
| R-404A | 3,922 | 39.2 |
| R-407C | 1,774 | 17.7 |
| R-448A | 1,387 | 13.9 |
| R-23 | 14,800 | 148.0 |
| R-508B | 13,396 | 134.0 |
Where the number is used
Refrigerant that leaks is a Scope 1 fugitive emission under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. It is counted as a direct emission from your own operations, in the same category as fuel burnt on site, because the gas physically left your equipment.
For listed Indian companies it surfaces in BRSR reporting under Principle 6. For anyone with a customer, investor or parent-company disclosure obligation, refrigerant is often the largest Scope 1 line nobody was measuring. See Scope 1 emissions.
How to know what you actually lost
Most sites do not measure leakage. They measure top-ups, which is a good enough proxy if someone records them.
Refrigerant is not consumed. A sealed circuit does not use gas. So every kilogram added to an existing system, other than at first commissioning, is a kilogram that leaked out. If your maintenance records show what was added and to which machine, you already have your emissions figure, and it is usually larger than expected.
The cheapest emissions reduction available to most plants is fixing the machine that gets topped up every year.
Quick answers
How do you convert refrigerant loss to CO2e?
Multiply the kilograms lost by the refrigerant's GWP and divide by 1,000 to get tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Is refrigerant leakage Scope 1 or Scope 2?
Scope 1. It is a direct fugitive emission from equipment you operate, in the same category as fuel burnt on site.
How do I find out how much has leaked?
Use your top-up records. A sealed circuit does not consume refrigerant, so any gas added after commissioning is gas that leaked out.
Which refrigerant has the worst leak impact?
Per kilogram, the ultra-low-temperature fluids: R-23 at about 14,800 GWP and R-508B at about 13,396. Of the mainstream commercial gases, R-404A at about 3,922.
- Greenhouse Gas Protocol · Scope 1 fugitive emissions from refrigeration and air conditioning · ghgprotocol.org.
- IPCC Fourth Assessment Report · 100-year global warming potentials · ipcc.ch.
- UNEP Ozone Secretariat · Kigali Amendment Annex F GWP values · ozone.unep.org.
This guide is general information compiled from the cited sources — not legal, safety or engineering advice. Read our full disclaimer.
Related: Leaks and Scope 1 reporting · GWP table · Leak detection · GWP values explained