FARMINGTON, Conn. — Two years after Carrier entered into an agreement with EOS Climate Inc. to ensure responsible end-of-life management of used refrigerants, the program has prevented 111,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing 23,000 passenger vehicles from the road for a year.

“This is a significant accomplishment that builds on a long history of innovative, natural leadership,” said John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer, UTC Building & Industrial Systems. “Twenty years ago, Carrier pioneered the phaseout of legacy refrigerants well in advance of U.S. and international requirements. While that decision set the standard moving forward, I’m proud that the company continued driving toward a more comprehensive solution that incorporates the responsible management of the refrigerants of our past.”

For decades, the industry relied on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants due to their energy efficiency, safety, and economic benefits. In the 1970s and 1980s, scientists began to observe that CFCs contributed to the depletion of the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Carrier introduced the first commercial and residential air conditioning systems using non-ozone-depleting refrigerants two years ahead of U.S. regulatory requirements and 16 years ahead of developing country laws.