On Monday 16 March 2026, the Institute of Refrigeration Ireland (IRI) hosted a technical webinar dedicated to the Real Alternatives Programme, a European initiative supporting the transition to sustainable refrigerants in the RACHP sector.
During the webinar, Luisa Girolami, Project Manager at Centro Studi Galileo, introduced the programme and outlined its contribution to the implementation of new European regulatory requirements, particularly in relation to training and certification for alternative refrigerants under the EU Reg. 2024/2215. The presentation also highlighted the importance of coordinated training frameworks to ensure safe handling of low-GWP refrigerants while supporting environmental objectives.
Developed by a consortium of European institutes and training organisations, the initiative offers blended learning materials, certification schemes and practical resources aimed at strengthening professional competence across the sector. Today, Real Alternatives training materials are used in over 20 countries and are available free of charge in 18 languages, supporting a wide community of technicians.
The webinar offered valuable insights for the Irish audience and emphasised the key role of skills development, cooperation and consistent training standards in enabling the sector’s transition toward low-GWP technologies and sustainable cooling solutions.
Looking ahead, the programme will continue to reinforce trainer capacity through its next Train-the-Trainers session, which will take place in Killybegs, in County Donegal, Ireland, from the 11th to the 15th of May bringing together experienced trainers and industry experts from across Europe.
The webinar and the slides are available on the IRI website.
You can also watch the recording using the player on the top of this article.