The　ratification　of　the　Montreal　Protocol　in　1987　and　the　Kyoto　Protocol　in　1997　mark　an　environment　protection　era　of　the　development　of　organic　working　fluid.　Ozone　depletion　potential　(ODP)　and　global　warming　potential　(GWP)　are　two　most　important　indices　for　the　quantitative　comparison　of　organic　working　fluid.　Nowadays,　more　and　more　attention　has　been　paid　to　GWP.　The　calculation　of　GWP　is　an　extremely　complicated　process　which　involves　interactions　between　surface　and　atmosphere　such　as　atmospheric　radiative　transfer　and　atmospheric　chemical　reactions.　GWP　of　a　substance　is　related　to　its　atmospheric　abundance　and　is　a　variable　in　itself.　However,　radiative　efficiency　is　an　intermediate　parameter　for　GWP　calculation　and　it　is　a　constant　value　used　to　describe　inherent　property　of　a　substance.　In　this　paper,　the　group　contribution　method　was　adopted　to　estimate　the　radiative　efficiency　of　the　organic　substance　which　contains　more　than　one　carbon　atom.　In　most　cases,　the　estimation　value　and　the　standard　value　are　in　a　good　agreement.　The　biggest　estimation　error　occurs　in　the　estimation　of　the　radiative　efficiency　of　fluorinated　ethers　due　to　its　plenty　of　structure　groups　and　its　complicated　structure　compared　with　hydrocarbon.　This　estimation　method　can　be　used　to　predict　the　radiative　efficiency　of　newly　developed　organic　working　fluids.　(C)　2015　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.