Trane Technologies plcTT
Trane Technologies plc Commitments Disclosure
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Company is involved in various litigation, claims and administrative proceedings, including those related to the bankruptcy proceedings for Aldrich Pump LLC (Aldrich) and Murray and environmental and product liability matters. The Company records accruals for loss contingencies when it is both probable that a liability will be incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Amounts recorded for identified contingent liabilities are estimates, which are reviewed periodically and adjusted to reflect additional information when it becomes available. Subject to the uncertainties inherent in estimating future costs for contingent liabilities, except as expressly set forth in this note, management believes that any liability which may result from these legal matters would not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations, liquidity or cash flows of the Company.
Asbestos-Related Matters
Certain indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries and former companies of the Company have been named as defendants in asbestos-related lawsuits in state and federal courts. In virtually all of the suits, a large number of other companies have also been named as defendants. The vast majority of those claims were filed against predecessors of Aldrich and Murray and generally allege injury caused by exposure to asbestos contained in certain historical products sold by predecessors of Aldrich or Murray, primarily pumps, boilers and railroad brake shoes. None of the Company's existing or previously-owned businesses were a producer or manufacturer of asbestos.
On June 18, 2020 (the Petition Date), Aldrich and Murray filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina (the Bankruptcy Court) to resolve equitably and permanently all current and future asbestos related claims in a manner beneficial to claimants and to Aldrich and Murray. As a result of the Chapter 11 filings, all asbestos-related lawsuits against Aldrich and Murray have been stayed due to the imposition of a statutory automatic stay applicable in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. In addition, at the request of Aldrich and Murray, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order temporarily staying all asbestos-related claims against each of 200 Park, Inc. (200 Park), ClimateLabs LLC (ClimateLabs), and Trane Technologies plc and its other subsidiaries (the Trane Companies) that relate to claims against Aldrich or Murray (except for asbestos-related claims for which the exclusive remedy is provided under workers' compensation statutes or similar laws). On August 23, 2021, the Bankruptcy Court entered its findings of facts and conclusions of law and order declaring that the automatic stay applies to certain asbestos related claims against the Trane Companies and enjoining such actions. As a result, all asbestos-related lawsuits against Aldrich, Murray and the Trane Companies remain stayed.
From an accounting perspective, the Company no longer has control over Aldrich and Murray as of the Petition Date as their activities are subject to review and oversight by the Bankruptcy Court. Therefore, Aldrich and its wholly-owned subsidiary 200 Park and Murray and its wholly-owned subsidiary ClimateLabs were deconsolidated as of the Petition Date and their respective assets and liabilities were derecognized from the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.
On January 23, 2023, an individual claimant filed a motion to lift the automatic stay imposed by the Bankruptcy Code to pursue its asbestos suit against Aldrich and Murray (the Stay Relief Motion). Aldrich and Murray, the court appointed legal representative of future asbestos claimants (the FCR), and certain non-debtor affiliates each opposed the Stay Relief Motion. The Bankruptcy Court denied the Stay Relief Motion. The individual claimant filed a notice appealing the order denying the Stay Relief Motion to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (the District Court). The District Court
has entered an order staying all deadlines in the appeal pending the outcome of a separate appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (the Fourth Circuit) in another bankruptcy case pending in the Bankruptcy Court.
On August 26, 2021, the Company announced that Aldrich and Murray reached an agreement in principle with the FCR in the bankruptcy proceedings. The agreement in principle includes the key terms for the permanent resolution of all current and future asbestos claims against Aldrich and Murray pursuant to a plan of reorganization (the Plan). Under the agreed terms, the Plan would create a trust pursuant to section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code and establish claims resolution procedures for all current and future claims against Aldrich and Murray (Asbestos Claims). On the effective date of the Plan, Aldrich and Murray would fund the trust with $545.0 million, comprised of $540.0 million in cash and a promissory note to be issued by Aldrich and Murray to the trust in the principal amount of $5.0 million, and the Asbestos Claims would be channeled to the trust for resolution in accordance with the claims resolution procedures. Following the effective date of the Plan, Aldrich and Murray would have no further obligations with respect to the Asbestos Claims. The FCR has agreed to support such Plan. The agreement in principle with the FCR is subject to final documentation and is conditioned on arrangements acceptable to Aldrich and Murray with respect to their asbestos insurance assets. It is currently contemplated that the asbestos insurance assets of Aldrich and Murray would be contributed to the trust, and that, in consideration of their cash contribution to the trust, Aldrich and Murray would have the exclusive right to pursue, collect and retain all insurance reimbursements available in connection with the resolution of Asbestos Claims by the trust. The committee representing current asbestos claimants (the ACC) is not a party to the agreement in principle. Any settlement and its implementation in a plan of reorganization is subject to the approval of the Bankruptcy Court, and there can be no assurance that the Bankruptcy Court will approve the agreement on the terms proposed.
On September 24, 2021, Aldrich and Murray filed the Plan with the Bankruptcy Court. The Plan is supported by and reflects the agreement in principle reached with the FCR. On the same date, in connection with the Plan, Aldrich and Murray filed a motion with the Bankruptcy Court to create a $270.0 million trust intended to constitute a "qualified settlement fund" within the meaning of the Treasury Regulations under Section 468B of the Internal Revenue Code (QSF). The funds held in the QSF would be available to provide funding for a trust pursuant to Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code upon effectiveness of the Plan.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, in connection with the agreement in principle reached by Aldrich and Murray with the FCR and the motion to create a $270.0 million QSF, the Company recorded a charge of $21.2 million to increase its Funding Agreement liability to $270.0 million. The corresponding charge was bifurcated between Other income/(expense), net of $7.2 million relating to Murray and discontinued operations of $14.0 million relating to Aldrich.
On January 27, 2022, the Bankruptcy Court granted the request to fund the QSF, which was funded on March 2, 2022, resulting in an operating cash outflow of $270.0 million reported in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, of which $91.8 million was allocated to continuing operations and $178.2 million was allocated to discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. On April 18, 2022, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order granting Aldrich and Murray's request to seek to estimate their aggregate liability for all current and future asbestos-related personal injury claims. Aldrich and Murray are pursuing discovery and related matters in connection with the estimation proceedings. On December 17, 2025, the Bankruptcy Court granted the FCR's motion to streamline the Bankruptcy Court proceedings to estimate the Debtors' asbestos-related liabilities. The first phase of the estimation hearing will commence the week of August 10, 2026.
Certain individual claimants and the ACC filed Motions to dismiss the bankruptcy proceedings on April 6, 2023 and May 15, 2023, respectively (the Motions to Dismiss). The Bankruptcy Court denied the Motions to Dismiss, and the District Court and the Fourth Circuit declined to review the Bankruptcy Court's ruling.
It is not possible to predict whether the Bankruptcy Court will approve the terms of the Plan, what the extent of the asbestos liability will be or how long the Chapter 11 cases will last. The Chapter 11 cases remain pending as of February 5, 2026.
On October 18, 2021, the ACC filed a motion seeking standing to pursue and investigate on behalf of the bankruptcy estates of Aldrich and Murray, claims arising from or related to the 2020 Corporate Restructuring and filed a complaint seeking to substantively consolidate the bankruptcy estates of Aldrich and Murray with certain of the Company's subsidiaries. Despite objections by Aldrich and Murray, the Bankruptcy Court granted the ACC's standing motion and denied Aldrich and Murray's motions to dismiss the substantive consolidation complaint. On June 18, 2022, the ACC filed complaints against the Company and other related parties asserting various claims and causes of action arising from or related to the 2020 Corporate Restructuring. The Company is vigorously opposing and defending against these claims.
In connection with the internal corporate restructuring completed in 2020, Aldrich, Murray and their respective subsidiaries entered into customary agreements with subsidiaries of the Company to ensure they each have access to services necessary for the effective operation of their respective businesses and access to capital to address any liquidity needs that arise as a result of working capital requirements or timing issues. In addition, the Company regularly transacts business with Aldrich and its wholly-owned subsidiary 200 Park and Murray and its wholly-owned subsidiary ClimateLabs. As of the Petition Date, these entities are considered related parties and post deconsolidation activity between the Company and them are reported as third
party transactions and are reflected within the Company's Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Since the Petition Date, there were no material transactions between the Company and these entities other than as described above.
Environmental Matters
The Company continues to be dedicated to environmental and sustainability programs to minimize the use of natural resources, reduce the utilization and generation of hazardous materials from our manufacturing processes and remediate identified environmental concerns. As to the latter, the Company is currently engaged in site investigations and remediation activities to address environmental cleanup from past operations at current and former manufacturing facilities.
It is the Company's policy to establish environmental reserves for investigation and remediation activities when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and a reasonable estimate of the liability can be made. Estimated liabilities are determined based upon existing remediation laws and technologies. Inherent uncertainties exist in such evaluations due to unknown environmental conditions, changes in government laws and regulations, and changes in cleanup technologies. The environmental reserves are updated on a routine basis as remediation efforts progress and new information becomes available.
The Company is sometimes a party to environmental lawsuits and claims and has received notices of potential violations of environmental laws and regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and similar state and international authorities. It has also been identified as a potentially responsible party (PRP) for cleanup costs associated with off-site waste disposal at federal Superfund and state remediation sites. In most instances at multi-party sites, the Company's share of the liability is not material.
In estimating its liability at multi-party sites, the Company has assumed it will not bear the entire cost of remediation of any site to the exclusion of other PRPs who may be jointly and severally liable. The ability of other PRPs to participate has been taken into account, based on the Company's understanding of the parties' financial condition and probable contributions on a per site basis.
Reserves for environmental matters are classified as Accrued expenses and other current liabilities or based on their expected term. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company has recorded reserves for environmental matters of $51.8 million and $52.4 million, respectively. Of these amounts, $41.6 million and $40.3 million, respectively, relate to investigation and remediation of properties and multi-waste disposal sites related to businesses formerly owned by the Company.
Warranty Liability
Standard product warranty accruals are recorded at the time of sale and are estimated based upon product warranty terms and historical experience. The Company assesses the adequacy of its liabilities and will make adjustments as necessary based on known or anticipated warranty claims, or as new information becomes available.
The changes in the standard product warranty liability for the years ended December 31, were as follows:
| In millions | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | $ | 414.6 | $ | 373.9 | |||||||
| Reductions for payments | (214.0) | (182.3) | |||||||||
| Accruals for warranties issued during the current period | 244.0 | 229.9 | |||||||||
| Changes to accruals related to preexisting warranties | (7.3) | (3.9) | |||||||||
| Translation | 4.9 | (3.0) | |||||||||
| Balance at end of period | $ | 442.2 | $ | 414.6 | |||||||
Standard product warranty liabilities are classified as Accrued expenses and other current liabilities or Other noncurrent liabilities based on their expected term. The Company's total current standard product warranty reserve at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 was $207.7 million and $185.3 million, respectively.
Warranty Deferred Revenue
The Company's extended warranty liability represents the deferred revenue associated with its extended warranty contracts and is amortized into Net revenues on a straight-line basis over the life of the contract, unless another method is more representative of the costs incurred. The Company assesses the adequacy of its liability by evaluating the expected costs under its existing contracts to ensure these expected costs do not exceed the extended warranty liability.
The changes in the extended warranty liability for the years ended December 31, were as follows:
| In millions | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | $ | 410.4 | $ | 349.4 | |||||||
| Amortization of deferred revenue for the period | (153.3) | (134.6) | |||||||||
| Additions for extended warranties issued during the period | 225.9 | 194.6 | |||||||||
| Changes to accruals related to preexisting warranties | 8.5 | 3.0 | |||||||||
| Translation | 3.1 | (2.0) | |||||||||
| Balance at end of period | $ | 494.6 | $ | 410.4 | |||||||
The extended warranty liability is classified as Accrued expenses and other current liabilities or Other noncurrent liabilities based on the timing of when the deferred revenue is expected to be amortized into Net revenues. The Company's total current extended warranty liability at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 was $172.7 million and $143.5 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company incurred costs of $65.7 million, $68.7 million and $54.3 million, respectively, related to extended warranties.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 5, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 6, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 8, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 10, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 7, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 9, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 18, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 12, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 12, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 13, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 12, 2016 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.