Refrigerant R-32 (HFC-32)

R-32 is the refrigerant most likely sitting in any split-system air conditioner installed in Australia over the past few years — and it’s the reason your newer equipment carries a much smaller fugitive-emissions liability in your Scope 1 footprint. With a GWP of 677, a kilogram of R-32 leaked causes roughly a third of the warming of the R-410A blend it replaced.

Lower does not mean negligible, though. R-32 is still an HFC covered by Australia’s phase-down, and leaks from a large fleet of split systems still add up to reportable tonnes. Here is the factor, the calculation, and where R-32 sits among its siblings.

Quick Verdict

R-32 (HFC-32) carries a global warming potential of 677 under IPCC AR5 100-year values, as published in Table 11 of the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 (DCCEEW). Every kilogram of R-32 leaked equals 677 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. R-32 is the common lower-GWP replacement in modern split-system air conditioning, so organisations upgrading from R-410A or legacy R-22 plant will see this factor appear in their inventory — at roughly a third of the CO₂-e per kilogram of the blend it replaces.

How to Calculate R-32 Emissions

Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Quantity of R-32 leaked (kg) × 677

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: Modern split systems across an office

An organisation runs 20 recent R-32 split-system air conditioners with a charge of 1.2 kg each (24 kg total). Using the indicative 3.5% annual leakage rate for split systems:

24 kg × 3.5% = 0.84 kg leaked

0.84 kg × 677 = 568.68 kg CO₂-e = 0.57 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: Packaged rooftop unit

A retail site operates an R-32 packaged unit charged with 12 kg. Applying the 2.5% indicative leakage rate for packaged air conditioning:

12 kg × 2.5% = 0.3 kg leaked

0.3 kg × 677 = 203.1 kg CO₂-e = 0.20 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 3: Annual servicing top-up records

Service invoices show technicians added 5 kg of R-32 across a portfolio of split systems during the reporting year. Each kilogram topped up represents a kilogram leaked:

5 kg × 677 = 3,385 kg CO₂-e = 3.39 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

R-32 Compared to Other Common Refrigerants

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

The same 1 kg leak that produces 1,924 kg CO₂-e from an R-410A system produces 677 kg CO₂-e from an R-32 system — a reduction of about 65% per kilogram, before accounting for the lower leak rates of newer equipment.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Fugitive R-32 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 — capturing top-up quantities through an activity-based emissions calculator keeps the audit trail clean.