The　development　of　organic　working　fluid　has　entered　the　environment　protection　era.　Ozone　depletion　potential　(ODP)　and　global　warming　potential　(GWP)　are　two　most　important　indices　of　the　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　and　most　errors　are　less　than　20%,　and　the　biggest　estimation　error　occurs　in　the　estimation　of　the　radiative　efficiency　of　fluorinated　ethers　which　contains　several　carbon　atoms　because　of　the　complicated　structure　of　fluorinated　ethers　compared　with　hydrocarbon.　This　estimation　method　can　be　used　to　predict　the　radiative　efficiency　of　newly　developed　organic　working　fluids　and　its　accuracy　can　meet　the　requirement　of　engineering　application.　(C)　2014　The　Authors.　Published　by　Elsevier　Ltd.