Refrigerants like CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs can contribute to global warming by absorbing infrared radiation. While CFCs have caused about 24% of the recent increase in greenhouse gas warming, they have also led to a cooling effect due to ozone depletion. The replacements for CFCs, like HCFCs and HFCs, have a smaller impact on climate change but also less impact on ozone. Overall, the new compounds should have a smaller effect on climate change compared to CFCs.