There are rapidly increasing expectations and demands, in the UK and more widely, for ‘low temperature’ or ‘low carbon’ plumbing and heating systems to combat global warming and rapidly increased, volatile energy costs. At the same time water and fuel poverty are more and more prevalent.

Kevin Wellman will tell us that this is a significant challenge to the plumbing and heating (P&H) sector – to ensure that it is sufficiently expert to design, install and maintain more complex, yet ‘greener’, technologies (heat pumps etc), whole-building heat loss assessment, and the selection of best solutions, including insulation, tailored for each building.

And there are consequential requirements – the need to update government policy, legislation, and consumer incentives, and to upgrade the education and training of installers (in FE colleges and through Continuing Professional Development), backed up by better plumbing practitioner certification. This will enable new, higher standards of equipment installation and performance, of safety & health, to be met/exceeded in a new P&H world.

Kevin Wellman will also speak about the global challenge, as Deputy Chair of the World Plumbing Council. He will explain that there is an urgent need for cross-national cooperation in the industry, and between governments – a truly coordinated approach on ‘best practice’ solutions to heating and cooling needs, and to common plumbing and sanitation issues, especially at a time of rapid climate change. The plumbing challenge, not least to meet the demands of UN SDG 6, requires global solutions which can only be achieved through greater collaboration, where richer nations (supported by international agencies) are willing to invest in plumbing, heating & cooling R&D to the benefit of all nations.