The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has proven successful in controlling the production and consumption of fluorocarbons. However, life-cycle refrigerant management (LRM)—especially leakage prevention and appropriate treatment of refrigerants after use—has been left dependent on voluntary actions by the respective Parties to the Protocol.

　Therefore, even with the Kigali Amendment, the projections are for enormous amounts of fluorocarbons to be released into the air in coming decades.

　LRM complements the efforts under the Montreal Protocol and strengthens the global efforts toward Net Zero Emissions under the Paris Agreement. For example, some countries have started integrating LRM as part of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

　LRM also brings the co-benefits of increasing energy efficiency of cooling equipment, promoting a circular economy with efficient use of resources, as well as creating green jobs in the market. Such an integrated approach will also contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

　That is why LRM is effective and essential toward realizing our sustainable future.

　Japan has worked for a long time to implement LRM by developing the necessary legal systems to accommodate it.

　Based on its experience, Japan launched the “Initiative on Fluorocarbons Life Cycle Management” (IFL) at UNFCCC COP 25 in 2019 to promote LRM internationally.

　The IFL stresses the importance of LRM and promotes mainstreaming into international and national policy frameworks. Also, the IFL works with developing countries to strengthen their capacity and create an enabling environment for policy development, deployment of technologies and access to finance, in partnership with partner governments, organizations and the private sector.

　In recent years, Montreal Protocol meetings have focused on discussions of LRM. A report on LRM was published and a one-day workshop on LRM was held in 2024, based on the decision by the 35th Meeting of the Parties in 2023. Following the report, which was submitted by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP), governments and experts discussed policy, technical and financial issues at the workshop. As a panelist, I shared Japan’s experiences in domestic implementation of legal instruments.

　The TEAP report estimated that between 2025 and 2050 LRM would result in cuts in HFC and HCFC emissions of up to 39 Gt CO₂e. This is approximately 35 times Japan's annual net GHG emissions, so the potential mitigation impact is huge.

　The papers in this publication discuss the current situation, challenges and issues regarding various aspects of LRM, making useful recommendations.

　I hope this publication will make a great contribution to progress in implementing LRM worldwide.

Teruo KOGU

Former Director

Office of Fluorocarbons Control Policy

Global Environment Bureau

Ministry of the Environment, Japan

　The Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment primarily regulate production and consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), while the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement focus on reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions including HFCs for mitigation of climate change. There is increasing attention to lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM) in the cooling sector as an effective measure for realizing mitigation potentials, and LRM has been elevated into an important part of the agendas of both the “ozone regime” and the “climate regime,” distinct policy and administrative systems that have evolved separately. This paper compares various aspects of the two regimes, such as norm setting, planning and implementation instruments, accounting and transparency through reporting, and financial mechanisms. It also points out gaps and proposes key areas of actions to accelerate LRM with strengthened implementation using a harmonized and mutually complementary approach.

　This paper sheds a light on key elements of the legal framework that enables effective implementation of lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM), taking an example of Japan’s Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons. Our analysis suggests the Act has been designed to provide a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of related actors engaged in LRM with a set of standards and procedures, as well as measures of increasing transparency of LRM actions. To address the continued challenges to reducing fluorocarbon emissions into the atmosphere, the results of implementation have regularly been monitored, and the effectiveness of the Act has been reviewed to gradually strengthen its contents.

　In most developing countries, fluorinated refrigerants are vented into the atmosphere at the time of servicing and disposal of cooling equipment as a business-as-usual (BAU) practice. Viet Nam has become one of the first developing countries to introduce a comprehensive legal framework for life-cycle refrigerant management (LRM) under its Revised Law on Environmental Protection of 2020 and other relevant documents. The set of the rules relevant to LRM have deliberately been integrated into the hierarchical structure of Viet Nam’s legal instruments, namely, decrees, circulars and national mandatory technical regulations (QCVN), which provides an essential foundation to operationalize LRM, bringing norms into regulations at the high level, and standards and procedures at the practical level.

　In enabling developing countries to prepare national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories on fluorinated gases (F-gases) emissions from refrigerants, capacity building is essential for promoting climate change mitigation under the Paris Agreement and controlling ozone depleting substances (ODS) under the Kigali Amendment. Both mitigation and ODS control cover hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) released as ODS-substitute emissions through product use, i.e., HFCs for refrigeration and air conditioning for stationary and mobile AC. The 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories and the 2019 Refinement to these Guidelines propose complex estimation methods to ensure accurate assessment of their climate change impact. A major barrier to setting quantitative mitigation targets is the lack of data on the current emission levels and profiles of gas species used within countries. Developing GHG emission profiles requires there to be a national GHG inventory office, institutional arrangements and methodologies or guidelines for data collection and calculating the GHG emissions. This paper aims to identify key challenges in preparing HFC inventories in developing countries, based on a pilot inventory conducted in Indonesia during 2022~2023, and to propose recommendations to address these issues. The authors encountered barriers such as data gaps, difficult methodologies and complexity in reporting requirements, along with a lack of institutional arrangements for collecting data and other information and ascertaining HFC emissions. These issues are observed to be universal rather than Indonesia-specific. This paper highlights the need for improved data collection, clarity in methodology, selection of appropriate methodologies for developing national GHG emissions inventories for F-gases, enhanced international cooperation and clearer guidance.

　This paper focuses on the economic aspects of promoting life-cycle refrigerant management (LRM) in developing countries. This is the management of refrigerants in accordance with the life stages of refrigerators, air conditioners and refrigerants. The authors carried out a model analysis of refrigerant recovery and treatment costs, finding that the costs of refrigerant recovery and treatment were greater for smaller amounts of refrigerant charged in the equipment, such as in residential air conditioners. As a countermeasure, a proposed was made to consider refrigeration recovery and treatment as part of waste management, introducing practices under the Home Appliance Recycling Act in Japan. In addition, a reclamation method developed in Japan was introduced and shown to facilitate easier operation and maintenance with a sufficiently reasonable capital investment, considering the effects of controlling foreign currency outflow in refrigerant importing countries.

　To establish a circular economy for refrigerants used in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, a digital management platform, “RefNEXT (Refrigerant + NEXT),” has been developed and implemented. RefNEXT integrates six key processes: recovery, collection, processing, reclamation or destruction, reuse and refilling. Through its implementation in Japan and its presentation to policymakers and industry stakeholders in Southeast Asia, three key values of RefNEXT have been identified. First, RefNEXT enhances traceability. By integrating data from all stakeholders—including equipment manufacturers, contractors and equipment owners—it enables real-time visibility of refrigerant inventory and distribution pathways. This is particularly beneficial in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, where such measures are increasingly being mandated. Second, RefNEXT facilitates leak-rate monitoring. By identifying discrepancies in multiple data entry processes, RefNEXT detects refrigerant leakage, thereby supporting compliance with logbook regulations mandated in Japan and Europe. It also has the potential to contribute to similar regulatory frameworks in Southeast Asia. Third, RefNEXT influences refrigerant policies. While destruction has traditionally been the primary method for handling used refrigerants, increasing traceability and verification capabilities have led to policy developments toward supporting refrigerant reclamation. Additionally, carbon credit methodologies are evolving to include not only destruction but also reclamation as a viable option. This study examines how RefNEXT contributes to advancing a circular economy for refrigerants and supports the development of sustainable refrigerant management policies. Future implementation efforts will focus on adapting RefNEXT to regional regulatory frameworks.

　This paper presents an abbreviated report of the findings of the local cement kiln working group (LCKWG) of experts on the economic, environmental and regulatory compliance benefits of destruction in local cement kilns of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are controlled under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol). The paper delineates the numerous advantages of destruction in local cement kilns and recommends specific actions to strengthen destruction as part of lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM) under the Montreal Protocol. Readers wanting elaboration or explanation should first consult the references and then contact any of the authors.

　The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol phases down the upstream production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), yet assumes that the entire installed bank will be emitted to the atmosphere over time. Lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM) posits that these downstream emissions can and should be mitigated. Despite the availability of technologies for mitigation, scaling LRM faces significant barriers, particularly in Article 5 countries (or developing countries), where limited infrastructure and financial resources hinder widespread implementation. Carbon markets offer a potential solution by providing financial incentives to overcome these challenges in the near-term. In this study, we examine past failures of carbon markets in addressing HFC emissions and draw lessons from these experiences. We then assess existing methodologies and identify a crucial gap in carbon crediting frameworks—specifically, the lack of mechanisms for HFC destruction in Article 5 contexts. We propose new methodology recommendations designed to fill this gap, ensuring adherence to the Integrity Council to the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles. We emphasize additionality, transparency and sound incentive structures, offering a viable path forward for leveraging carbon markets to mitigate HFC emissions. Ultimately, we argue that such an approach can accelerate the deployment of LRM strategies and help address the growing climate impact of HFCs, particularly in regions that face significant infrastructure and financial constraints.