AHRI addressed climate change at annual HVACR Leadership Roundtable

DUBAI, UAE, 13 January 2026: The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) said it welcomed more than 80 senior leaders from its member companies across the region to its third annual AHRI Leadership Roundtable. Making the announcement through a Press Release, AHRI said the roundtable was themed “Ready for Climate Change” and was held at the Dubai World Trade Center on November 24. The association said the meeting took place during the inaugural HVACR World exhibition which it said was endorsed by both AHRI and ASHRAE.

AHRI said the Leadership Roundtable serves as a strategic platform for open dialogue on the future of the HVACR industry across the Middle East and North Africa. The association said discussions focused on climate policy, the refrigerant transition, regional regulatory developments and the market outlook.

AHRI said its President and CEO Stephen Yurek opened the meeting by sharing insights on the global refrigerant transition. The association said he outlined the United States’ roadmap to achieve 150 GWP limits for commercial equipment by 2032 and also addressed the relationship between climate ambition and economic reality. “As affordability pressures increase, climate considerations often move lower on the list,” Yurek noted. “For policies to succeed, they must be achievable, economically justified, and aligned with real-world market conditions,” Yurek continued.

AHRI said its Senior Vice President of Global Services Henry Hwong followed with an update on the association’s global footprint by announcing the establishment of a new AHRI office in Singapore. AHRI said the new office is intended to support manufacturers, regulators, consulting engineers and governmental and non-governmental organisations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.

AHRI said its MENA Managing Director Nabil Shahin discussed the association’s regional activities. The association said Shahin highlighted the development of three new regional performance equations for Integrated Part Load Value and Integrated Energy Efficiency Ratio. AHRI said these equations cover chillers, Variable Refrigerant Flow systems and large unitary equipment. The association said this represents a step toward regionally relevant performance evaluation. AHRI said the event concluded with an interactive session during which members expressed alignment with the association’s direction and emphasised the importance of AHRI’s role in representing industry interests among key stakeholders. AHRI added that members shared constructive feedback to help ensure future initiatives remain industry-driven and reflective of collective market needs.