ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
How much each gas warms the planet when it leaks, what is published about refrigerant and cooling emissions in the GCC, and who recovers and reclaims gas.
WHAT A LEAK DOES
The three gases found in most ACs in the GCC, and what one kilogram leaking means for the climate.
R-410A
The gas in most split ACs fitted in the GCC over the last 15 years.
1 kg of R-410A =2,088 kg of CO₂
Releasing 1 kg of R-410A warms the planet as much as releasing 2,088 kg of carbon dioxide.
R-32
The gas in most new ACs: it warms the planet about a third as much as R-410A.
1 kg of R-32 =675 kg of CO₂
Releasing 1 kg of R-32 warms the planet as much as releasing 675 kg of carbon dioxide.
R-22
The old AC gas, being phased out: it also damages the ozone layer.
1 kg of R-22 =1,810 kg of CO₂
Releasing 1 kg of R-22 warms the planet as much as releasing 1,810 kg of carbon dioxide.
Warming factors: IPCC AR4, 100 years, the basis the Kigali Amendment uses. Car and tree comparisons: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. Rounded.
WARMING FACTOR PER GAS
The global warming potential over 100 years (IPCC AR4, the basis the Kigali Amendment uses). The higher the number, the more a leak warms the planet.
| Gas | Type | GWP (AR4) | AR5 | AR6 | Ozone (ODP) | Safety | One cylinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-507A1 kg = 3,985 kg CO₂ | HFC blend | 3,985 | 3,985 | 4,775 | 0 | A1 | 45.0 t CO₂11.3 kg cylinder |
| R-404A1 kg = 3,922 kg CO₂ | HFC blend | 3,922 | 3,943 | 4,728 | 0 | A1 | 42.7 t CO₂10.9 kg cylinder |
| R-452A1 kg = 2,140 kg CO₂ | HFO/HFC blend | 2,140 | 1,945 | 2,292 | 0 | A1 | 21.4 t CO₂10 kg cylinder |
| R-410A1 kg = 2,088 kg CO₂ | HFC blend | 2,088 | 1,924 | 2,256 | 0 | A1 | 23.6 t CO₂11.3 kg cylinder |
| R-221 kg = 1,810 kg CO₂ | HCFC | 1,810 | 1,760 | 1,960 | 0.055 | A1 | 24.6 t CO₂13.6 kg cylinder |
| R-407C1 kg = 1,774 kg CO₂ | HFC blend | 1,774 | 1,624 | 1,908 | 0 | A1 | 20.0 t CO₂11.3 kg cylinder |
| R-134a1 kg = 1,430 kg CO₂ | HFC | 1,430 | 1,300 | 1,530 | 0 | A1 | 19.4 t CO₂13.6 kg cylinder |
| R-449A1 kg = 1,396 kg CO₂ | HFO/HFC blend | 1,396 | 1,282 | 1,505 | 0 | A1 | 14.0 t CO₂10 kg cylinder |
| R-448A1 kg = 1,386 kg CO₂ | HFO/HFC blend | 1,386 | 1,273 | 1,494 | 0 | A1 | 13.9 t CO₂10 kg cylinder |
| R-321 kg = 675 kg CO₂ | HFC | 675 | 677 | 771 | 0 | A2L | 6.4 t CO₂9.5 kg cylinder |
| R-513A1 kg = 630 kg CO₂ | HFO/HFC blend | 630 | 573 | 674 | 0 | A1 | 6.3 t CO₂10 kg cylinder |
| R-454B1 kg = 465 kg CO₂ | HFO/HFC blend | 465 | 467 | 531 | 0 | A2L | 4.7 t CO₂10 kg cylinder |
| R-600a1 kg = 3 kg CO₂ | Natural | 3 | 3 | — | 0 | A3 | 0.0 t CO₂6.5 kg cylinder |
| R-7441 kg = 1 kg CO₂ | Natural | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | A1 | 0.0 t CO₂10 kg cylinder |
One cylinder: the tonnes of CO₂ a full cylinder equals if it all leaks, at the size usually sold in the GCC. Sources: methodology.
PUBLISHED STATISTICS
Each figure as its publisher gives it, with the year and a link.
UAE · EMISSIONS · 2021
204,001.78 Gg CO2e (~204 Mt), excl. LULUCF
The UAE's whole-economy greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 were about 204 million tonnes CO2e: a yardstick for refrigerant figures.
UNFCCC national reports (inventories, BURs, review records) · UNFCCC, Facilitative sharing of views record – United Arab Emirates (Dec 2025)
UAE · EMISSIONS · 2021
0.15 Mt CO2e
The UAE's own inventory puts fluorinated-gas emissions at a tiny 0.15 Mt CO2e, but Climate Action Tracker warns that F-gas reporting is limited by data gaps.
Climate Action Tracker · Climate Action Tracker
OMAN · RECOVERY AND RECLAIM · 2026
In development national recycling centre
Oman's Environment Authority is pressing ahead with the country's first national centre for recycling refrigeration and AC gases.
Gulf Daily News (Bahrain) · Gulf Daily News (World Ozone Day 2026 report)
OMAN · GAS USE (CONSUMPTION) · 2023–2025
2,787,916 t CO2e per year (2023–25 avg)
Oman's proposed starting point for its HFC phase-down is about 2.8 million tonnes CO2e a year; it is the first Group 2 country to submit a Kigali plan.
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) · EIA briefing to the 98th MLF Executive Committee (2026)
QATAR · RECOVERY AND RECLAIM · 2026
Planned national reclaim centre
Qatar is setting up an accredited centre for refrigerant recovery, reclamation and reuse to international standards, to be run by a private operator.
Qatar News Agency (QNA) · Qatar News Agency (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change with UNIDO)
SAUDI ARABIA · TARGETS AND RULES · H1 2026
69 % reduction (ODS)
Saudi Arabia says it has cut ozone-depleting refrigerants (HCFCs) by 69% against its Montreal Protocol baseline, and cleared more than 8,000 tonnes of ODS and HFC shipments in 2026.
Zawya (with Saudi Press Agency) · National Center for Environmental Compliance (via Zawya / SPA)
INTERNATIONAL · EMISSIONS · 2016 (publication)
10–15 % per year
HFCs were the fastest-growing greenhouse gases, rising 10–15% a year; without action they could equal 9–19% of CO2 emissions by 2050.
UNEP Ozone Secretariat · UNEP / CCAC, 'National HFC Inventories: summary of key findings'
RECOVERY AND RECLAIM
Recovering gas instead of venting it is the single biggest thing a technician can do for the climate.
| Company | Country | Cities | Gases | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Waleed Refrigerant Gas IndustryReclaimer / recycler | UAE | Ajman (Al Jurf Industrial Area 2) | — | alwaleedrefrigerant.com |
| National Refrigerant Reclamation Centre (operated by Aztec Services)Reclaimer / recycler | Bahrain | — | — | international.centrogalileo.it |