Refrigerant R-22 (HCFC-22)

If your building still runs air conditioning installed before 2010, there’s a fair chance R-22 is sitting inside it — and every kilogram that escapes counts 1,760 times over in your Scope 1 footprint. R-22 is an ozone-depleting HCFC whose imports have been effectively banned since 2016, so the refrigerant keeping that legacy plant alive is recycled or reclaimed stock, and increasingly expensive.

That combination — high GWP, ageing leak-prone equipment, and restricted supply — makes R-22 one of the first fugitive emission sources worth quantifying properly. Here is the factor, how to apply it, and how it stacks up against the refrigerants that replaced it.

Quick Verdict

R-22 (HCFC-22) carries a global warming potential of 1,760 under IPCC AR5 100-year values, as published in Table 11 of the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 (DCCEEW). Every kilogram of R-22 leaked equals 1,760 kg CO₂-e, reported under Scope 1 as fugitive emissions by the organisation that owns or controls the equipment. The factor applies to the 2025–26 Australian reporting year for NGER and AASB S2 purposes. Because R-22 imports have been banned since 2016 except for recycled or reclaimed stock, any organisation still topping up R-22 systems is running legacy equipment that is both a compliance line item and a replacement priority.

How to Calculate R-22 Emissions

Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Quantity of R-22 leaked (kg) × 1,760

Where top-up records are unavailable, estimate leakage as equipment refrigerant charge × the indicative annual leakage rate from NGA Factors 2025 Table 10 (for example, 3.5% for split systems, 2.5% for packaged units).

Worked Example 1: Legacy split systems across an office

An organisation runs 10 ageing R-22 split-system air conditioners with a charge of 3 kg each (30 kg total). Using the indicative 3.5% annual leakage rate for split systems:

30 kg × 3.5% = 1.05 kg leaked

1.05 kg × 1,760 = 1,848 kg CO₂-e = 1.85 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: Packaged rooftop unit

A warehouse operates one large R-22 packaged rooftop unit charged with 40 kg. Applying the 2.5% indicative leakage rate for packaged air conditioning:

40 kg × 2.5% = 1.0 kg leaked

1.0 kg × 1,760 = 1,760 kg CO₂-e = 1.76 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 3: Annual servicing top-up records

Service invoices show contractors added 6 kg of reclaimed R-22 across a site’s legacy equipment during the reporting year. Each kilogram topped up represents a kilogram leaked:

6 kg × 1,760 = 10,560 kg CO₂-e = 10.56 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

R-22 Compared to Other Common Refrigerants

All GWP values are IPCC AR5 100-year figures from NGA Factors 2025 Table 11:

Replacing a legacy R-22 system with a modern R-32 unit cuts the GWP per kilogram leaked by more than 60% — and new equipment typically leaks far less than plant that has been in service for 15+ years.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Fugitive R-22 emissions are Scope 1 and must be included in NGER reports where your organisation meets the facility or corporate thresholds, using the AR5 GWP values in the NGA Factors 2025. Under AASB S2, Scope 1 disclosure in your climate statement should identify refrigerant emissions by gas type — tracking top-up quantities through tools like an activity-based emissions calculator keeps the audit trail clean.