At the kick-off of the climate talks in Cancun, Mexico, the members of the Consumer Goods Forum announced their intention to ban the use of refrigerant gases with high global warming potential, namely HFCs, by 2015 and to replace them with natural refrigerants.

Considering the economic weight of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), an assembly of 400 global consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, which translates into a combined revenue of $2.8 trillion USD (€2,1 trillion), this move will have a decisive impact on the refrigeration sector and global greenhouse gas emissions.

"The initiatives that our industry announced are good examples of the kind of bold and positive action that will be needed to move the needle in combating climate change" said Muhtar Kent, on behalf of the Board of Directors of The Consumer Goods Forum.

“When big corporate names such as Unilever, Tesco, Coca Cola, and Carrefour take such a step, they create enough momentum to make the whole industry move. The commitment of these companies to ban f-gases from their equipment is a clear sign that they recognise their contribution in fighting climate change but they also acknowledge the availability and viability of natural alternatives in commercial refrigeration, namely the natural refrigerants CO₂, ammonia and hydrocarbons”, says Christianna Papazahariou, Head of the campaign BeyondHFCs.  

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