As climate goals and efficiency become the central focus behind cold chain decisions, both at the individual and government level, natural refrigerants are becoming a global movement, increasingly unencumbered by regional political landscapes.

In Latin America, a surge in CO₂ systems is happening, while in Europe, focus is growing on a policy-driven adoption of refrigerants like ammonia and hydrocarbons.

The global regulatory landscapes remain uneven, but in many places, the tide is turning. Natural refrigerants are outgrowing national constraints, propelled by international climate agreements, evolving technologies, and a (in many cases, profit driven) drive towards sustainability and efficiency.

Meanwhile, global issues like reducing food waste and shoring up regions vulnerable to famine are, increasingly, urgent problems that natural refrigerants are well-suited to help solve, earning them attention from global policy leaders.

These factors shape the way the International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration (IIAR) seeks to work on the global standards scene, where IIAR’s standards, alliances, and educational efforts are helping shape the adoption of natural refrigerants.

“There’s a massive movement in Europe, Latin America, and other regions toward natural refrigerants,” said IIAR’s Vice President – Education, Outreach and Events, Yesenia Rector. “We’re seeing expansion into heat pumps, CO₂ systems, hydrocarbon systems, and ammonia in non conventional applications. It’s taking relevance globally.”

IIAR’s credibility as a standards-setting body is no longer confined to the U.S. market. “We’ve solidified our position over the last decade,” said EVAPCO Vice President Kurt Liebendorfer, who is currently serving on IIAR’s board. “Our standards are now adopted into the International Code Council and enforced through building codes. We’ve long been the go-to for ammonia, and now we’re seeing CO₂ and hydrocarbons follow suit.”

That credibility is exportable, said Leibendorfer. “IIAR is living proof of an industry that has successfully self-governed through technical excellence. Along with IIAR members, we’ve managed the intersection between the desire to use ammonia for all its benefits and the safety concerns that come with it. If we hadn’t, ammonia use wouldn’t be growing, but it is.”

In Latin America, where many countries have not developed their own standards, IIAR’s best practices are being adopted to shape national frameworks. “These partnerships are helping build not just regulatory capacity but entire supply chains,” Leibendorfer said. “It’s no
longer just about standards—it’s about infrastructure, technology, and market maturity.”

In 2023, IIAR’s International Committee launched a far-reaching research initiative to catalog the standards and codes governing industrial refrigeration systems – especially those using ammonia and other natural refrigerants – across key international markets. The goal: to create a comprehensive global reference that supports IIAR’s mission to promote safe and sustainable refrigeration worldwide.

The resulting dataset spans 14 countries across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, offering insights into regulatory frameworks, adoption levels of IIAR standards, and relationships between national authorities and IIAR’s global partners. It’s a milestone in IIAR’s
international engagement, said Rector, and a strategic tool for advancing natural refrigerant adoption.

Among the findings:

• Colombia has adopted IIAR Standards 1, 2, 3, and 4 through ICONTEC.

• Costa Rica, in partnership with CIEMI, used IIAR Standards to develop national refrigeration norms.

• Brazil’s ABNT is translating IIAR Standards into Portuguese for future adaptation.

• Chile and Paraguay are in the early stages of adopting safety standards.

These developments underscore a broader trend, said Rector, IIAR Standards are no longer just technical references, they’re becoming code documents themselves, recognized in international model codes like the IBC, IFC, UMC, NFPA, and ASHRAE 15.

From a North American perspective, the rise of natural refrigerants in heat pump applications is one of the most significant shifts underway. “We’re seeing ammonia and CO₂ being used as heat pumps as part of the broader electrification movement,” said Dave Malinauskas, President of CIMCO Refrigeration. “Natural gas boilers are being eliminated in favor of heat pump solutions. Ammonia makes sense for a lot of reasons— it’s cheaper, more efficient, and better for the environment.”

Malinauskas pointed to the potential for high-grade heat recovery as a gamechanger. “Instead of rejecting heat to the atmosphere, we can reuse it. By increasing compression ratios, we can get higher temperatures—ammonia can reach 180 to 185°F, compared to most synthetic refrigerants that top out around 140°F.”

This shift is especially relevant for institutional campuses and district heating systems transitioning from steam to hydronic infrastructure. “Higher process temperatures provided by ammonia is a must for facilities that are moving from steam to hydronic heating.”

Latin America is emerging as one of IIAR’s most dynamic regions. “The cold chain economy there is important to the U.S.,” said Eric Smith, IIAR’s Vice President and Technical Director. “Multinational end users and manufacturers want consistency in refrigeration design and operation— primarily for safety, but also for reliability.”

Smith emphasized that IIAR’s early efforts to make educational materials available in Spanish were pivotal. “It wasn’t just outreach—it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. They understood the value of natural refrigerants, and we were ready to support them.”

The region’s growth is visible in participation metrics. “In the last ten years, we’ve seen significant growth in manufacturers, contractors, and end users engaging with IIAR,” said Max Duarte, IIAR’s International Committee Chair. “Our events are packed, our courses have high participation, and our chapters are promoting IIAR’s goals with real depth.”

Duarte also noted the importance of staying neutral in the market. “We work with many people in each region. As we’ve grown, our members see that we’re all in this together; it’s not about supporting one company’s interests over another, it’s about a collective move toward natural refrigerants for the good of everyone.”

IIAR’s international strategy relies on active chapter engagement, education programs, and strategic alliances with peer organizations and regulatory bodies. These relationships – often formalized through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) – enable advocacy, training, and technical exchange.

Key IIAR partners include:
• CIEMI (Costa Rica)
• ACAIRE (Colombia)
• Chilean Chamber of Refrigeration
• ASHRAE, UNEP Cool Coalition, GCCA, EIA, RETA, and others

The research initiative that was started in 2023 is now informing technical training, standard harmonization, and future MOUs. IIAR is working to regularly update the international standards matrix and provide members with detailed country-by-country summaries, said Rector.

IIAR’s relevance may soon extend beyond refrigeration. “There’s a huge opportunity in the use of ammonia as a fuel,” Leibendorfer said. “The maritime shipping industry and others are piloting ammonia-based energy systems, and they’ve reached out to IIAR and its partners to help develop safety standards.”

That outreach is a testament to IIAR’s reputation. “We’ve gotten where we are by managing risk very successfully, which has facilitated the expanded and diverse use of ammonia. ,” he added. “And we’re going to get even better. We have a robust industry ecosystem, and we’re staying more relevant as an industry than other competing [technologies].”

The global movement toward natural refrigerants is not just technical – it’s human. “If we can promote the safe use of natural refrigerants,” Duarte said, “it benefits everyone. These communities, these markets, this planet.”

As IIAR completes new research efforts and global climate agreements are put in place, multinational demand for natural refrigerants is rising.

“The industry itself is redefining in a way that is making natural refrigerants the most viable global solution,” said Rector. “Natural refrigerants are driving growth, technology availability, and climate agreements.”

“Initiatives promoting natural refrigerants – that limit and help with climate change – are very much becoming global policy,” said Rector. “It’s energy savings, and it makes business sense to use natural refrigerants; the technology is there, and it’s getting better by the day.”

“There are larger forces at work, said Rector. “Business interests and small governments alike are transcending local political discourse on climate change. And this is happening on a global scale.”