Refrigerant R-410A (HFC blend)

If your buildings were fitted out any time between the mid-2000s and the late 2010s, the split-system air conditioning on the roof almost certainly runs on R-410A — and at a GWP of 1,924, every kilogram it loses is nearly two tonnes of CO₂-e landing in your Scope 1 footprint. It was the workhorse refrigerant of an entire generation of Australian commercial fit-outs.

That installed base is exactly why R-410A matters for reporting: the equipment is now ageing into its leakiest years just as the HFC phase-down tightens supply. Here is the factor, how to calculate emissions from it, and how it compares to the refrigerants replacing it.

Quick Verdict

R-410A carries a global warming potential of 1,924 under IPCC AR5 100-year values, as published in Table 11 of the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 (DCCEEW). Every kilogram of R-410A leaked equals 1,924 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-410A is a 50/50 blend of R-32 and R-125 that dominated split-system air conditioning installed through the 2000s and 2010s, so most organisations with commercial premises of that vintage carry R-410A exposure — and it is being phased down under Australia’s HFC phase-down, making replacement planning a live issue.

How to Calculate R-410A Emissions

Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Quantity of R-410A leaked (kg) × 1,924

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: Split systems across an office

An organisation runs 15 R-410A split-system air conditioners with a charge of 2 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 × 1,924 = 2,020.2 kg CO₂-e = 2.02 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: Packaged rooftop unit

A retail site operates an R-410A packaged unit charged with 25 kg. Applying the 2.5% indicative leakage rate for packaged air conditioning:

25 kg × 2.5% = 0.625 kg leaked

0.625 kg × 1,924 = 1,202.5 kg CO₂-e = 1.20 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 3: Annual servicing top-up records

Service invoices show technicians added 8 kg of R-410A across a property portfolio during the reporting year. Each kilogram topped up represents a kilogram leaked:

8 kg × 1,924 = 15,392 kg CO₂-e = 15.39 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

R-410A Compared to Other Common Refrigerants

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

R-410A sits near the top of the common air conditioning refrigerants — only the commercial refrigeration blend R-404A is materially worse. Swapping end-of-life R-410A equipment for R-32 units cuts the CO₂-e per kilogram leaked by roughly 65%.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Fugitive R-410A 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 servicing top-ups through an activity-based emissions calculator keeps the audit trail clean.