The 2026 Annual Conference of the Green Refrigerant Research and Application Branch, China Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association, together with the Liquid Cooling Technology Summit, has completed all agenda items and concluded successfully. Centered on Dual Carbon compliance, liquid cooling heat dissipation and full-life-cycle management of refrigerants, the conference conducted in-depth discussions. It clarified the industrial value and mandatory regulatory requirements of refrigerant recovery and reuse, and consolidated consensus on green transformation across the whole industry.

From the regulatory perspective, China is fulfilling its obligations under the **Montreal Protocol** and the **Kigali Amendment**. In accordance with the revised *Regulations on the Administration of Ozone-Depleting Substances*, direct venting of refrigerants is strictly prohibited during refrigeration maintenance and equipment scrapping. Recovery and regeneration enterprises must complete filing with provincial ecological and environmental authorities and maintain complete inventory records. Illegal emissions will incur heavy fines and credit penalties.

The national plan sets phased recovery rate targets: the HFCs recovery rate in maintenance activities shall reach over 60% by 2030. This pushes the industry to improve a closed-loop system covering classified recovery, purification & regeneration and harmless disposal. Meanwhile, supporting national standards for refrigeration equipment recovery have been formulated to standardize refrigerant dismantling procedures for waste air conditioners and energy-storage liquid cooling units, and prevent secondary pollution caused by mixed recovery.

Refrigerant recovery and reuse delivers remarkable dual benefits for both economy and environmental protection. Environmentally, HFCs are potent greenhouse gases. Proper recovery can drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect the ozone layer and lower carbon accounting costs, helping enterprises achieve carbon neutrality targets. Industrially, regenerated and purified refrigerants can partially replace virgin refrigerants, easing shortages and rising purchase costs of low-GWP new refrigerants, reducing energy consumption and raw material use in chemical production, and extending the circular economy industrial chain of refrigeration.

The conference proposed a technical roadmap of classified recovery and graded regeneration, applicable to diverse scenarios including commercial & industrial refrigeration, data center liquid cooling and heat pumps, to promote compliant reintroduction of regenerated refrigerants into the market.

The conference also advanced the development of supporting recovery standards for environmentally friendly liquid cooling fluids, linking the industrial chain for coordinated recovery of refrigerants and liquid cooling media. The Branch clarified its next-step work: improving the recovery certification system and building a platform for supply-demand matching between upstream and downstream players. Driven by both regulatory constraints and industrial value, it will foster a low-carbon, compliant and recyclable refrigeration industrial ecosystem.