Refrigerants have long been considered a small part of a building’s total emissions.  But the reality is that the decision of which refrigerants system one installs, and the refrigerants they use, can have a big impact on a building over decades. 

In 2025, GBCA launched a discussion paper, Freeze Frame: Refrigerants as long-term building infrastructure, highlighting the important role of refrigerants in reducing emissions and improving building performance.
This refrigerant bank is projected to grow to 80,000 tonnes by 2036. At the same time, modelling shows demand for new refrigerants will outstrip supply, with a threefold shortfall projected by 2036 under the current phase-down.  But how do you get up to speed in this area?

Refrigerants are a critical but often overlooked piece of the climate puzzle, with every building relying on refrigerants, yet they’re rarely factored into long-term planning.   With out planning, we risk higher retrofit costs, supply shortages and emissions that could have been avoided. The refrigerant choices we make now will shape building performance for decades to come.

Speakers

• Alan Fok, Sustainable Operations Director, Westpac Group Property

• David Palin, National Director ESG, Mirvac

• Jeremy Mansfield OAM, Director, Mansfield Advisory

• Johanna Kieboom, Director Ecological Sustainability, Built Infrastructure – Design and Technical Services, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (NT)

• Mark Vender – Advocacy and Policy Manager, AIRAH

• Taryn Cornell, Senior Manager Green Star Strategy, Green Building Council of Australia

Join us for this workshop as we explore the key areas of challenge and what the possible solutions might be. Hear insights and lessons from case studies and key experts in the field.  And examine how you can prepare for the future of refrigerants.      

In association with