Federal offset protocol: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration systems

Commercial and industrial refrigeration and air conditioning systems are found across Canada in retail food stores, malls, ice rinks and cold storage warehouses, among other facilities. These systems release refrigerant during equipment installation, routine operation and maintenance and initial refrigerant charging, or re-filling (top-up). Some refrigerants, such as certain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), have high global warming potentials (GWPs). The transition away from refrigerants with high GWPs used in these systems reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from unavoidable equipment leaks.

The Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Systems federal offset protocol creates an incentive for owners of refrigeration and air conditioning systems and other project developers to retrofit pre-existing systems or install new systems to use eligible low-GWP refrigerants. These activities will generate GHG emission reductions for which federal offset credits may be issued under the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Regulations.

The protocol was developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada with input from a team of external technical experts, including those with expertise in refrigeration system manufacturing and operation, GHG quantification, verification, offset protocol development, and relevant academic research, as well as from experts in the Government of Canada, provinces and territories.

Access the protocol

• Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Systems, Version 1.2
• Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Systems, Version 1.1

Other resources

Federal offset protocol overview: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Systems

Webinar presentation providing an overview of the Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission from Refrigeration System federal offset protocol (March 2023). To receive a copy of the presentation, please send us an email at: creditscompensatoires-offsets@ec.gc.ca