On April 10, 2026, the General Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Letter Requesting Public Comments on the Draft Announcement on Prohibiting the Production of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Air Conditioning (Heat Pump) Units Using Chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22) as Refrigerant" (Environmental Office Note [2026] No. 98),which explicitly proposes that, in order to fulfill international environmental conventions and implement domestic regulatory requirements, China's VRF air conditioning (heat pump) unit industry will fully phase out HCFC-22 refrigerant; starting from January 1, 2027, the production of related products using this substance as refrigerant will be prohibited.

The core basis for this policy is the international environmental framework of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, as well as domestic laws and plans such as the Regulations on the Management of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and China’s National Plan for Implementing the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (2025–2030). This is an important measure for China to continue advancing the elimination of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), support ozone layer protection, and contribute to climate action.

HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane)is a refrigerant widely used in the traditional air-conditioning industry and is also an ozone-depleting substance; its long-term use can damage the stratospheric ozone layer and threaten the global environment. The implementation of this ban will drive the VRF industry to fully shift to environmentally friendly refrigerant technology routes, accelerate the industry's green transformation and upgrading, and further improve China's compliance performance in global ozone layer protection.

The draft for comment is currently in the public consultation stage. Relevant industry companies, organizations, and the public may submit feedback in accordance with the rules. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment will refine the announcement based on the feedback and formally release and implement it.