Refrigerants, Naturally! previous successes
First campaign prevents the emission of around 43.5 million metric tons of CO₂, equal to the annual emissions of more than 8.86 million passenger vehicles *
In 2004, the members of Refrigerants, Naturally!, together with Greenpeace and UN Environment, set out to accomplish an ambitious mission. Their goal was to completely integrate natural refrigerants into new sale systems wherever technically and legally feasible.
With the collective efforts of PepsiCo, Red Bull, The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever, the Refrigerants, Naturally! initiative is able to proudly say: “First mission accomplished!”
Three other global companies temporarily joined the network temporarily: Carlsberg, IKEA and McDonalds. In recent years, these companies, together with their suppliers, have developed and tested new technologies and placed natural refrigerant-using equipment on the market.
In 2005, the Refrigerants, Naturally! initiative's achievements were recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency which awarded them for their efforts in fighting global warming.
7.25 MILLION UNITS USING NATURAL REFRIGERANTS INSTALLED
Direct competitors worked together to create a positive global impact and propel the industry towards improving their carbon footprint and making cooling and freezing technology environmentally sustainable. By sharing technical information and developing networks, the Refrigerants, Naturally! members actively supported the development and disseminated information on how to service natural refrigerant-based systems, Additionally, they promoted innovation and best practice to non-members, particularly to markets in developing countries and emerging economies.
By directly communicating with influential audiences, including trade associations, suppliers, policy makers and customers, the members changed the global perception of natural refrigerant technology. Demonstrating and communicating the business case for natural refrigerants at a tangible level enabled the global dissemination of highly energy efficient and environmentally friendly cooling and freezing equipment. Through joint and evidence-based advocacy in support of natural refrigerants, national and regional regulation and standardization was updated, allowing the widespread use of natural refrigerant equipment.
The members collectively decided to officially end their active engagement in the Refrigerants, Naturally! initiative by the end of 2017. However, they still encourage other sectors to follow their initial example in collectively making the impossible seem possible. The food retail sector was the first of future new ventures through the project RefNat4LIFE.
(*Numbers are based on the systems collectively implemented by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Red Bull and Unilever. The numbers and saved emissions of former members are not counted in the numbers presented here.)