A presentation from the Unified Water Label Association (UWLA) at ISH, the leading trade fair for HVAC + Water, held in Frankfurt this month, concluded that the industry has the solution when it comes to better water and energy efficiency in the home with the Unified Water Label. Speakers from leading companies and brands that support the Unified Water Label shared their commitment to using and promoting the label in order to help them achieve their sustainability aims.
René Marienfeld, senior product design engineer at IKEA, said: “We have embraced the Unified Water Label as it provides easy to understand information about the technical features of a product and creates awareness of water and energy consumption. The feedback from our staff, partners and consumers has been really positive and we are excited to be part of the scheme.
Steffan Erath, head of innovation & sustainability at Hansgrohe Group talked about Hansgrohe's Green Vision beyond Water, and how it sees sustainability as an opportunity. Hansgrohe has committed to bringing all of its products onto the Unified Water Label by the end of 2024, as part of its eco goals for 2030. Erath said: “Supporting the Unified Water Label provides us with an opportunity to work with the industry and the government to bring about change.”
Carla Rodrigues, executive director of ANQIP, explained how Portugal developed its own Water Label scheme but was one of the first schemes to support the Unified Water Label. She said: “We cannot wait any longer to take steps to combat the impacts of climate change. Aligning our schemes is a logical and easy step. We are currently in transition but working towards having one certification and one label for Portugal markets that align with government initiatives and regulation by 2024.”
UWLA CEO Yvonne Orgill said: “We are grateful to our partners and supporters for joining us at ISH to raise the visibility of the Unified Water Label. They have shown that the industry has the solution and can lead the change in consumer awareness and behaviour that is required to support the products available. It is clear that our message is being heard as the number of enquiries we have had from ISH is phenomenal, with 46 serious enquiries about joining the scheme.”
UWLA president Carlos Velazquez, pictured, added: “The Unified Water Label is now recognised across Europe and beyond, by companies and governments that have signalled their intention to address climate change and energy efficiency. We have an industry-led solution that has been identified as the bench criteria for government legislation such as the Taxonomy Directive and within the ISO Standard 31600 as best practice. The newly developed shower criteria in the Energy Technology list also references the Unified Water Label. By working together we are achieving greater visibility in the marketplace, and driving forward significant changes in attitudes to water and energy efficiency.”
