Japan explores policy and digital tools for a refrigerant circular economy

The seminar “Toward the Realization of a Refrigerant Circular Economy” took place on January 30, 2026, during HVAC&R JAPAN 2026, and gathered 222 experts and stakeholders. Discussions highlighted the growing importance of refrigerant management in achieving climate and resource-efficiency objectives. Japan continues to face challenges related to unrecovered hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), refrigerant leakage during equipment operation, and the need to secure long-term refrigerant supplies under the phasedown requirements of the Kigali Amendment. Presentations from government agencies, local authorities, industry organizations and researchers emphasized the importance of improving recovery rates, expanding the use of reclaimed refrigerants, and integrating refrigerant management into broader decarbonization strategies.

 

Several initiatives presented at the seminar focused on the use of digital tools and data-driven management. These included the Refrigerant Management System (RaMS) and its digital extension RaMS-ex, which improve traceability of refrigerant charging, recovery, reclamation and destruction activities. Tokyo Metropolitan Government also reported on the deployment of IoT-based monitoring systems to detect refrigerant leaks and on the introduction of a technical certification scheme for refrigerant charging and recovery operators. These measures aim to improve compliance, data transparency and technical performance across the refrigerant value chain.

 

Designing a circular refrigerant management system

 

In his report published on JARN (Japan Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News) ^[1], Prof. Noboru Kagawa, Japan delegate to the IIR General Conference and member of IIR Commission B1, outlined a framework for a refrigerant circular economy combining policy instruments, economic incentives and digital infrastructure. The proposed approach includes refrigerant credits to support recovery and reclamation activities, incentive mechanisms linked to environmental performance, and integrated data management. Together, these elements form a circular management model designed to improve refrigerant traceability and increase the recovery and reuse of HFCs.

 

The report concludes that effective refrigerant circularity requires coordinated action across regulators, industry, equipment owners and service providers. Reclaimed refrigerants are expected to play an increasingly important role in supplementing constrained HFC supplies while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Beyond Japan, the report also identifies opportunities to transfer expertise and system-design approaches to other regions, particularly Southeast Asia, where improvements in refrigerant recovery and reclamation could contribute to both climate mitigation and resource security objectives.

 

Figure 1. Japan’s Fluorocarbon (CFC, HCFC, HFC) mass flow and Kigali Amendment targets (image credits: Noboru Kagawa)

 

 

For more information, the report is available on the JARN website.

 

 

Sources:

[1] Designing a Refrigerant Circular Economy — Policy, Technology, and Market Perspectives. https://www.ejarn.com/article/detail/93551