A UNEP-backed programme held in Italy this month brought together refrigeration professionals from China and five other Asian nations to standardize training and certification for natural refrigerants - a direct response to persistent technician skill gaps as global HFC phase-down obligations accelerate.
Background
On 8 May 2026, eleven female refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) professionals from six countries completed the International Training of Trainers (ToT) Programme for RAC Certification Trainers and Assessors, organized by UNEP OzonAction under its Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) and hosted by Italy's ATF - the Italian Association of Refrigeration Technicians - in Casale Monferrato. Participants came from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, the Maldives, Mongolia, and Nepal. The programme was funded by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.
The event follows a separate UNEP OzonAction workshop held in Guangzhou, China, in November 2025, which brought together technicians from Asia, Africa, and the Pacific to train on ammonia (NH₃) and NH₃/CO₂ cascade systems for cold storage. Both initiatives operate under the Kigali Amendment framework, which requires signatory nations to phase down HFCs and build domestic capacity to service systems using natural and low-GWP alternatives. The Guangzhou workshop was organized under Stage II of China's HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), supported by the Multilateral Fund, and conducted in collaboration with China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Chinese Association of Refrigeration (CAR).
Italy's role as training host also reflects acute domestic pressures. The country counted only 18,000 F-Gas-certified installers in 2025 - roughly 7,000 short of what is needed to support planned heat-pump deployment. The new A2L certification requires 16 training hours per technician and has created nine-month waiting lists at accredited centres.
Details
The Casale Monferrato curriculum combined theoretical sessions with hands-on practical training, covering:
- Certification systems and assessment methods
- Environmental and safety aspects of refrigerants
- Energy-efficient technologies
- Installation and piping best practices
- Leak prevention, pressure testing, evacuation, charging, and system performance monitoring
Participants also completed practical exercises including brazing, recovery, vacuuming, and recharging of refrigeration equipment.
At the programme's conclusion, participants were offered the opportunity to sit for the EU F-Gas Certification examination - the mandatory qualification in the European Union for professionals handling fluorinated greenhouse gases in RAC servicing. Ten of the eleven participants successfully passed both the theoretical and practical examinations and will receive their official EU F-Gas certificates.
The programme addressed persistent capacity gaps faced by Article 5 countries in delivering high-quality training and implementing competency-based certification systems. For China specifically, the country amended its Regulation on Ozone-Depleting Substances effective March 2024, explicitly bringing HFCs under national control in alignment with the Kigali Amendment. The framework introduces HFC allowances, import-export licensing, mandatory data reporting, and lifecycle management covering leak reduction, recovery, reclamation, and destruction. China's HFC control targets a 10 percent reduction by 2029, according to industry analysis.
The cross-border transfer of EU-aligned certification methodology carries supply chain implications. Italy's ATF operates one of the EU's most developed competency-based assessment frameworks for RAC technicians, and its role as delivery partner positions Italian standards as a reference model for markets still building their own certification infrastructure. Italian technical firms have already signalled strategic interest in the Chinese HVAC&R market: software company Unilab exhibited at China Refrigeration 2026 in Beijing this April, citing plans to strengthen its commercial network in Asia and consolidate relationships with local partners.
Outlook
ASHRAE and UNEP approved a new two-year work plan titled Life Cycle Refrigerant Management (LCRM) during the 2026 ASHRAE Winter Conference in Las Vegas, reinforcing their partnership as the RAC industry transitions to alternative refrigerants and comprehensive lifecycle management grows increasingly critical. UNEP OzonAction head Jim Curlin noted that the partnership "bridges global environmental policy with technical standards and industry practice" and "provides specialized tools and services that help developing countries manage refrigerants responsibly, meet Montreal Protocol obligations and advance energy efficiency." Further ToT sessions are expected as Article 5 countries move to institutionalize competency-based certification ahead of upcoming HFC phase-down milestones.
For related coverage, see our analysis of global HVAC market trends toward low-GWP refrigerants.
