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| History Timeline |
| 1980: A Changing Environment
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 In 1980, 72 percent of new cars sold in the U.S. have air conditioning. Within 10 years, it is up to 94 percent. Two-thirds of all cars and light trucks in operation in the U.S. are air-conditioned.
The "ozone hole" is discovered over Antarctica in 1985 but the cause is uncertain.
With evolving scientific evidence suggesting a link between increasing emissions of CFCs and potential future ozone loss, an international agreement is reached in 1987, the Montreal Protocol, requiring a 50% decrease in CFC consumption over a ten year period.
With the ink barely dry on the Montreal Protocol, in March of 1988 the distinguished panel of scientists, the International Ozone Trends Panel, releases its summary report linking the "ozone hole" and, potentially, seasonal ozone losses in the northern hemisphere to CFCs. Ten days later DuPont unilaterally commits to phase out CFC production through an orderly transition to alternatives.
In the interest of accelerating the transition to alternatives, DuPont shares its safety and environmental information and leads in the formation of consortia to complete the testing. The objective: a refrigerant that is safe, environmentally superior and requires only minimal changes to equipment.
Faced with the prospects of an impending phase out of R-12, carmakers put their money on an alternative refrigerant - R-134a. New components like condensers and compressors are developed as well as new materials like lubricants and desiccants.
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