World Refrigeration Day 2025 marked in Madrid with focus on HVACR talent and sustainability

Madrid hosted the 2025 World Refrigeration Day with a focus on four key pillars for the HVACR sector: talent, sustainability, digitalisation and communication. Organised by AEFYT, AFAR and AFEC, the event brought together professionals, manufacturers, installers, communicators and institutional representatives to address the theme: “HVACR Talent for a Real Future: Sustainability, Digitalisation and Communication”.

Held at the headquarters of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE), the event was moderated by Maite Ruffo, general director of Caloryfrio.com. The opening session featured remarks from Susana Rodríguez, president of AEFYT; Joaquín Alberto Peñalver, president of AFAR; Pedro Prieto, director of Energy Saving and Efficiency at IDAE; and Marta San Román, director of AFEC, representing Francisco José Perucho.

The programme focused on talent as a driver of sector transformation across three core areas: real sustainability versus greenwashing, digitalisation in practice, and strategic communication.

The first session addressed greenwashing in HVACR with insights from Antton Arrieta, Industry Delegate of Gipuzkoa (Basque Government), and Federico Muñoz, CEO of CEISLAB. They emphasised that credible green claims must be based on verifiable data from reliable sources. The discussion also explored the boundaries between sustainable business models and profitability, and proposed the development of a sector-specific guide against misinformation, similar to the recent “Climate Disinformation Prevention” document published by the Spanish Office for Climate Change (OECC).

The second panel, featuring Alberto Vázquez from Grupo ISONOR and Alberto Delgado from Seidor Solutions, explored digitalisation as a tool to enhance performance and energy efficiency. According to the speakers, data collection and processing enable better maintenance, new services, and more precise technical decisions. The session also covered how key tasks—such as technical queries, equipment configuration, inventory, spare parts management, training, client communication, service reports, and marketing—have evolved from manual to digital, with connectivity playing a key role in decarbonisation and improving user and installer experience.

The final part of the day focused on communication as a core competence. The session highlighted the importance of adapting technical language for broader audiences, stressing that the HVACR sector must make its messaging more accessible without compromising technical accuracy. Speakers noted that effective communication requires strategy, talent, and collaboration. Emotional, two-way, purpose-driven communication can build trust, foster community, and distinguish companies in a competitive digital landscape.

The event concluded with a summary of key insights by AEFYT’s president.  Attendees also had the opportunity to network during a closing cocktail reception.