Interview: Harmonising HVACR sustainability

Sustainability is rapidly reshaping the HVACR industry, moving from a regulatory obligation to a core driver of innovation and competitiveness. As governments, customers, and investors demand greater transparency on environmental performance, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and provide credible lifecycle data. In this evolving landscape, sustainability is no longer just about compliance - it is about making smarter product decisions, unlocking new market opportunities, and preparing for a future defined by data, accountability, and environmental responsibility.

We spoke with Alejandro Fernandez De Mera, the newly appointed Sustainability Director at Eurovent Certification, about how manufacturers can navigate growing environmental requirements, why acting now is critical, and how Eurovent Certification’s new Sustainability Department is being built to support a broader range of sustainability challenges, starting with EPD and LCA services. 

Q: Hello Alejandro, thanks for talking to us today. 

How is Eurovent Certification supporting manufacturers in producing environmental data?

Alejandro: At Eurovent Certification, we see ourselves as a trusted partner for HVACR manufacturers navigating sustainability. Our role is to help manufacturers turn complex environmental requirements into credible, usable data. We’ve started working on the most pressing concerns of manufacturers with our EPD services, but also with a longer-term ambition to make sustainability data easier to produce, verify and use.

In a sector as diverse and technically complex as HVACR, credibility is everything. Manufacturers need to be confident that their performance and environmental data - and the labels or documents attached to their products - truly reflect reality and meet regulatory and market expectations.

Q: Why is environmental data becoming so important for manufacturers?

Alejandro: Because today, it’s not enough for products to perform well, they also need to “tell the story” of their environmental impact clearly and transparently.

For this reason, Eurovent positions itself as a privileged partner for companies in the HVAC sector, offering services now in the preparation of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These are technical frameworks that transparently describe the environmental impact of products throughout their entire lifecycle, from production to disposal.

However, in HVACR, the landscape is still quite fragmented. Standards and methodologies can vary between countries, and sometimes even within the same market. That complexity makes it essential to work with an organisation that understands all the variables and can guide manufacturers through the process.

Q: How does Eurovent Certification help manufacturers develop EPDs?

The first step is supporting companies in drafting their EPDs, providing know-how gained through years of technical experience in the HVAC field. The knowledge within our teams is built on years of direct, technical experience in the sector. That allows us to understand product-specific challenges and provide tailored, practical guidance.

Ultimately, our goal is to simplify what can otherwise be a very complex and resource-intensive process.

Q: You mentioned simplification - how do you see this evolving?

Alejandro: Today, much of the work around EPDs is still highly customised, which can impact both timelines and costs. Eurovent Certification firmly believes in simplifying procedures. Indeed, we strongly believe that the future lies in greater standardisation and scalability without reducing reliability.

As the industry matures, we expect to see more harmonised methodologies and increased automation in how data is collected and processed. This will make verified sustainability assessments faster, more cost-effective, and easier to integrate into business operations.

At Eurovent Certification, we’re actively working toward that future - helping to create harmonised frameworks that will benefit the entire HVACR sector.

Q: Beyond compliance, what value do EPDs bring to manufacturers?

Alejandro: EPDs are much more than a regulatory requirement, they’re a strategic tool.

EPDs help manufacturers communicate their products’ characteristics more effectively, better understand their environmental performance and identify opportunities for sustainable improvement. At the same time, they provide a clear and credible way to communicate performance to customers, consultants, and regulators.

Today, manufacturers are increasingly required to respond both to regulatory demands and to market expectations for transparency regarding emissions, environmental impacts, and product lifecycles. In this context, being ready can make the difference between maintaining market share and gradually being pushed to the margins. EPDs are becoming a key factor in maintaining competitiveness.

Used well, sustainability data should become an asset, not an issue. It can help manufacturers understand their products better, identify improvement opportunities and communicate performance with more confidence.

Q: Is now the right time for manufacturers to start?

Alejandro: Absolutely, and I would say it’s essential.

Starting the EPD process today represents a strategic lever for accessing new markets. Anticipating these processes allows companies to avoid the issues that will arise when regulatory obligations become stricter, especially considering that these procedures require significant technical lead times. Acting early therefore means transforming a regulatory constraint into a competitive advantage.

Q: How would you describe Eurovent Certification’s role in this journey?

Alejandro: We aim to become a trusted partner in sustainability for HVACR manufacturers so they can rely on us for both expertise and independence.

Our approach is data-driven, scientifically robust, and grounded in verifiable analysis. But beyond that, we see sustainability as an opportunity, not just a constraint.

If approached correctly, it can drive innovation, improve products, and open new market opportunities. And that’s exactly what we want to help manufacturers achieve.

Q: Finally, what are your plans for the future?

Alejandro: Our immediate priority is to build strong, practical EPD and LCA services for HVACR manufacturers. That means helping companies produce reliable environmental data, navigate different methodologies, and prepare for growing regulatory and market expectations.

But this is only the starting point. Over time, our ambition is to broaden Eurovent Certification’s sustainability offer in areas where manufacturers need clearer guidance, better data and trusted third-party support. This could include wider sustainability services in different product aspects, carbon-related data, circularity topics, product-level sustainability indicators and tools that make environmental information easier to collect, compare and use.

Our objective is to help manufacturers make sustainability an asset rather than a burden: something that supports better product decisions, stronger market access and clearer differentiation.

We also want to contribute to greater harmonisation in the sector. HVACR manufacturers need clear methods, more comparable data and more efficient processes, there is already a lot of good work been done out there in that direction, but we firmly believe we can contribute to it. If we can help the industry move in that direction, sustainability will become less of an administrative burden and more of a source of confidence, innovation and long-term competitiveness.

Thank you for your time Alejandro.

Are you ready to start your sustainability journey?

Eurovent Certification’s new Sustainability Department can support manufacturers right now in producing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for HVACR products. New environmental services are also under development.

Share your project with Alejandro or book a short consultation to get started.

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