18 May 2011: Refrigerants, Naturally!, a public-private partnership conceived and supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)’s OzonAction team, has received the Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Roy Family Award.

Refrigerants, Naturally! is a partnership among four private companies, namely The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald’s, Unilever and PepsiCo, and is supported by Greenpeace and UNEP. Founded in 2004, Refrigerants, Naturally! has focused its efforts on overcoming barriers to the use of natural refrigerants including availability, maintenance, technical challenges and regulation. The award was given in recognition to the work of Refrigerants, Naturally! on eliminating persistent fluorinated gases (such as CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs), which are highly potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are used in most refrigeration and cooling technologies, as well as an example of corporations and environmental organizations working together.

In 2010, Refrigerants, Naturally!’ persuaded the Consumer Goods Forum, a CEO-led organization of 400 global consumer goods manufacturers and retailers, to commit to begin phasing-out HFC refrigerants as of 2015 and replace them with natural refrigerants. [UNEP Press Release]