About the F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP)
The F-gas Reduction Incentive Program (FRIP) is a California Air Resources Board (CARB) program designed to promote the adoption of climate-friendly ultra-low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant technologies. FRIP addresses two of the primary challenges that have slowed the transition to ultra-low-GWP refrigerant technologies, offsetting the higher upfront costs and helping end-users gain experience with next‑generation systems. The California Legislature has recognized that shifting to these new technologies is essential for meeting the State’s climate commitments, and FRIP plays a central role in accelerating that transition.
FRIP is part of California Climate Investments, which uses billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to fund projects that reduce harmful emissions, protect public health, strengthen local economies, and support natural environments. With a strong focus on communities most impacted by pollution and limited access to resources, California Climate Investments helps build a more equitable and sustainable future.
Benefits for Priority Communities
The State recognizes that the transition to ultra‑low‑GWP technologies can pose financial challenges for many end-users. FRIP is structured to focus on communities where those challenges are most significant. Therefore, FRIP prioritizes small and independent businesses, as well as facilities located in low‑income, disadvantaged, and rural areas. These communities are also highly vulnerable to climate change. To support an equitable transition, FRIP provides higher incentive amounts for refrigeration facilities operating within these priority communities.
Learn more about California Climate Investments to Benefit Priority Populations.
What are HFCs?
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are a class of fluorinated chemical compounds predominantly used as refrigerants in refrigeration systems, air conditioning equipment, and heat pumps. They are potent, short-lived climate pollutants, and their climate impact is hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide (the most common greenhouse gas). Once considered a suitable replacement for ozone-depleting substances, HFCs are now among the fastest growing greenhouse gases and one of the most significant drivers of climate change.
HFCs and other fluorinated refrigerants are commonly released into the atmosphere through equipment leaks or improper handling and disposal. Due to the size and complexity of commercial refrigeration systems, an average supermarket leaks nearly 25% of its total refrigerant charge annually.
Why We Care
HFCs are the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet and in California. Short-lived climate pollutants such as HFCs, black carbon, methane, and tropospheric ozone, are responsible for up to 40% of current global warming and have more immediate climate impacts than other greenhouse gases. Reducing HFC emissions is one of the fastest and most effective strategies to slow global warming and protect communities from increasingly severe climate impacts.
Scientists predict that HFC emissions alone could contribute to a rise in average global temperatures of up to 0.5°C by the year 2100. Reducing HFCs is essential to achieving California’s carbon-neutrality goals, particularly Senate Bill (SB) 1383, which mandates a 40% reduction in HFC emissions below 2013 levels by 2030.