2026 Q1 Recap Newsletter
Dear REEF Community,
Q1 has proved to be an exciting and busy start to 2026 for REEF! From presenting engaging webinars on refrigerant management in healthcare facilities and next-generation heat pumps to co-hosting the second annual Yale Cooling Conference with the Carbon Containment Lab, these past few months have been fueled by energy, collaboration, and action. We're encouraged by the industry's collective efforts and commitment to shaping the future of sustainable cooling and heating and are looking forward to building on Q1's successes throughout the rest of the year.Education
Getting Ahead of the Curve Webinar
Heat Pump Webinar
In mid-January, REEF had the opportunity to partner with the International Federation of Healthcare Engineering (IFHE) and Mazzetti for a webinar on refrigerant management in healthcare facilities.
As international regulations accelerate the transition away from high-GWP refrigerants, healthcare leaders face pressure to align with evolving standards while ensuring resilience, compliance, and cost efficiency.
“Getting Ahead of the Curve: Managing Refrigerants for Compliance and Operational Savings in Healthcare Facilities” explored what these changes mean for facility managers, procurement teams, and project designers, offering actionable insights and strategies for navigating refrigerant choices in both existing systems and new construction.
Watch the webinar recording here.
REEF kicked off our 2026 quarterly webinar series with a deep dive into next-generation heat pumps using ultra-low-GWP refrigerants like R290 and their role in the transition to climate-safe heating and cooling.
Heat Pumps for the Future: Design, Deployment, and Preparing the U.S. for What's Next drew over 50 registrants and showcased exciting energy and engagement from the community.
Expert speakers from across the industry engaged in a discussion that struck a great balance between policy, standards, and real-world deployment, effectively showing that R-290 and next-generation heat pumps are not theoretical but are actively moving forward across multiple fronts.
Access the webinar recording, transcript, and slides here.
REEF Library of Resources
Are you looking for credible, actionable refrigerant resources?
REEF has curated a compendium of internal and external resources featuring research, policy analysis, technical guidance, and industry insights from across the cooling and refrigerant landscape, all in one place. Each resource has been carefully selected to support informed decision-making and help individuals and organizations better understand and address refrigerant emissions.
Engagement
On March 5-6, 2026, REEF co-hosted the second annual Yale Cooling Conference alongside the Carbon Containment Lab.
500 stakeholders from across the cooling industry came together to explore the latest advancements in technologies, discuss financing, and identify opportunities to chart a path to more sustainable cooling.
The result was two days full of thoughtful discussion, collaboration, and innovation centered around lifecycle refrigerant management and alternative cooling technologies, with a focus on practical, on-the-ground action to cut cooling emissions.
Access a recording of the conference's opening session as well as the 2026 Public Synthesis report below."Energized, optimistic and inspired about the existing work going on in the refrigerant community and the potential to do more to contribute the industry's transformation."
- Paul Scott, REEF Growth Officer, reflecting on his 2026 Yale Cooling Conference experience
We're proud to spotlight Tradewater as a valued member of the REEF community!
Tradewater is a mission-based certified B-corporation that collects, controls, and destroys potent greenhouse gases, eliminating their release to the atmosphere. Their business-based approach to fully overseeing the process of finding, securing, and mitigating super pollutant gases all around the world also enables the production of verified, high-quality carbon credits that help businesses and individuals achieve their climate goals.
Tradewater's work strongly aligns with REEF’s mission to inspire and drive business action on refrigerant emissions as a means to transform the broader refrigerant landscape toward zero climate and environmental impact. By tackling one of the most overlooked and dangerous sources of emissions, Tradewater demonstrates how targeted action can deliver meaningful climate benefits.
We’re grateful for Tradewater’s continued collaboration, expertise, and leadership in this space, and we look forward to building on this important work together.
Empowerment
REEF Supports MEP 2040
REEF is proud to support the MEP 2040 Commitment to radically reduce total carbon emissions associated with building systems through collective action. The MEP 2040 movement closely aligns with REEF's mission and the work of its coalition of building owners and operators seeking to reduce the climate impact of refrigerant emissions, going beyond regulation, as part of sustainability and decarbonization goals.
To learn about supporting the Commitment, tools and resources in development, and other ways you can get involved in this critical body of work to fight climate change in the built environment, click the link below.
Upcoming Events
San Francisco Climate Week
April 21, 2026
ATMOsphere America Summit
June 2-3, 2026
Join REEF, the Bay Area Regional Network (BayREN), San Francisco Environment Department, and key partners for a must-attend refrigerants event during SF Climate Week.
From 5pm-7pm PT on April 21st, hear from state, industry, and contractor leaders about how California is advancing natural refrigerants across refrigeration and HVAC, while building a more circular refrigerant market.
This fast-paced discussion will cover what’s deployable today, what’s coming next, and how programs are helping make solutions work in the real world—especially for small and mid-sized businesses.
This in-person event is open to the public, but space is limited!Learn more and register here.
REEF is excited to be a partner of the upcoming ATMOsphere America Summit taking place north of New York City on June 2-3.
With a quick train ride from Manhattan, you can join leaders from across the HVAC&R industry to explore the business case for clean cooling and heating.
On June 3rd just before lunch, REEF will moderate an HVAC Panel bringing together end users and experts to share practical and inspiring insights from real HVAC progress—emerging data, on-the-ground decisions, and existing installations. The panel will highlight opportunities and the path forward for natural refrigerants in the U.S. while exploring how stakeholders navigate today’s market and regulatory constraints to advance sustainable, large-scale adoption.Learn more and register here.
