The contribution of refrigeration to the environmental aspect of sustainable development might be illustrated through the

indispensable role of refrigeration technologies for maintaining biodiversity by cryopreservation of genetic resources.
Refrigeration technologies are now being considered as a means to capture CO2 from large power stations and industrial plants
thanks to cryogenics; they also enable the liquefaction of CO2 for underground storage. However, the adverse environmental
effects of refrigeration - and first and foremost its global-warming impact - must also be addressed. Around 37% of this global-
warming impact is due to direct emissions (leakage) of fluorinated refrigerants (CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs), while the remaining 63%
are due to indirect emissions originating from the electricity production required to power the systems. [16] Overall, according to
IIR estimations [16] , the refrigeration sector-related emissions account for 4.14 GtCO2 eq, representing 7.8% of global GHG
emissions. Hence, actions implemented by refrigeration stakeholders to fight global warming focus on two objectives: reduction
in the direct emissions of fluorinated refrigerants to the atmosphere through better containment, refrigerant charge reduction
and end-of-life recovery, development of alternative refrigerants with negligible or no climate impact and training/certification of
technicians. reduction in primary energy use by increasing energy efficiency of refrigerating plants. It is important to underline
the positive environmental contribution of the recent implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol -
supported by the refrigeration industry -, which plans a gradual reduction of HFC production and consumption worldwide.
Without the Kigali Amendment, the HFC emissions from the refrigeration sector would rise to between 3 and 4 GtCO2 eq [16] in
2050. However, according to IIR estimates, thanks to the implementation of the Kigali Amendment, the HFC emissions will only
amount to approximately 0.7 GtCO2 eq in 2050, after a peak around 1.5 GtCO2 eq at the end of the 2020s. Based on these
estimates, the Kigali Amendment is expected to prevent a substantial increase in average temperatures up to 0.3 °C by 2100. [17]
This result must be put into perspective with the Paris Agreement, whose objective is to limit the rise in global average
temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.

ACs themselves only emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) when leakage or improper disposal of refrigerants occurs, though these
refrigerants are extremely powerful GHGs that contribute to climate change (Box 1.3). But the generation of the electricity
needed to power those ACs can give rise to sizeable emissions, except in the case of pure renewables-based cooling systems.
Emissions of GHGs related to the use of energy for space cooling hinge primarily on the fuel mix in power generation. For the
world as a whole, fossil fuels accounted for 65% of total power generation in 2016 (coal for 37%, gas 24% and oil 4%), resulting in
average emissions of around 505 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kWh (gCO2/kWh) of generation (the carbon intensity). Space
cooling required a total of 2 000 TWh of electricity in 2016, corresponding to emissions of 1 130 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 based
on the carbon intensity of electricity generation at times of air-conditioning demand and taking account of losses in transmission
and distribution. Adding in direct emissions from the use of fossil fuels (almost entirely natural gas) from direct use in chillers,
global cooling-related CO2 emissions amounted to 1 135 Mt – triple the level of 1990 (Figure 1.15). The share of cooling in total
energy-related emissions from buildings doubled to 12% over the same period. Key message • The share of space cooling in total
energy-related CO2 emissions in buildings, mainly caused by coal burning in power stations, doubled between 1990 and 2016.
China and the United States together contribute about 55% of global cooling-related CO2 emissions – a slightly larger percentage
than their share of global cooling-related demand because a large proportion of the electricity needed to meet that demand
Ciclo
comes from coal-fired powerdeplants
refrigeração porCO2absorção
in both countries. emissions per kWh from coal plants are generally around twice as high
as from gas plants and about a quarter higher than from oil plants (Figure 1.16).

Ql=Q h−W c
* Prestar atenção no sinal do valor de Wc, uma vez que a energia
em forma de calor vem de outra fonte (Ex: Motor de Comb. Int.)