The Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) and the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) have agreed to work together fully in the critically important area of sustainability.
The new commitment, which was signed at the ECA Industry Conference in May, recognises the considerable benefits of a joint approach to sustainability in terms of industry representation and the provision of practical, expert advice to members and clients.
The ECA and the HVCA have agreed on a comprehensive joint programme that includes:
- Funding and resourcing sustainability-related activities
- Providing the secretariat for an M&E Sustainability Interest Group
- Issuing appropriate advice, guidance and support to members
- Developing appropriate training and competence standards
- Managing sustainability-related conferences and events
- Producing relevant specifications and best practice guides
“The key role of the building services engineer in meeting the sustainability challenge lies in providing high-efficiency, low-carbon systems using material and technologies that preserve the planet’s natural resources and safeguard the environment,” commented HVCA Chief Executive Robert Higgs.
“It is entirely appropriate, therefore, that the ECA and the HVCA should co-operate fully in helping their members to develop the necessary skills and expertise – and to take advantage of the commercial opportunities that will undoubtedly ensue.”
“This is an exciting and very positive development,” said ECA Director David Pollock. “Our fully collaborative approach to sustainability will help us to answer some very important questions about how to achieve major reductions in UK carbon emissions.
“We will also be pressing Government to take much bolder measures to reduce our dependence on fossil energy.
“Although climate change is the defining environmental impact, both ECA and HVCA will be working together on other key sustainability issues such as waste management and recovery”.