Speaking at the annual FETA lunch, at The Brewery in London, Mr Hughes said: “The process is not yet over, but it is fair to say that currently we have significant concerns that the EU may be focusing on legislation which, while reducing the GWP for refrigerants, does so at the expense of the much bigger prize of energy efficiency. 

“It is in this area where our industry, given the flexibility around choice of technology, can make the biggest impact by reducing dependence on fossil fuels – the role of our heat pumps being a shining example. There is no question that industry buys into where we need to be on Net Zero but there is a need to be pragmatic and ensure we do actually achieve the targets. I am therefore pleased to report that the UK Government is taking an approach where it seemingly wants to fully understand the impacts of potential proposals before acting. 

Mr Hughes also commented on the current pressure on supply chains over the past year saying: “Higher costs and demands on the supply chains have been significantly exposed but hopefully we are going to see an easing of these pressures over the coming months as inflation starts to reduce. We certainly wish we can build on some early signs of the proverbial green shoots and hope those are not simply those associated with the recent spring like weather.”

On the introduction of the UKCA and UKNI marking, Mr Hughes said while this had proved challenging in 2022 on a number of fronts, he was pleased to see that the Government had paused the introduction and was now consulting with industry on future use to ensure it truly supports the UK’s Net Zero targets. 

He welcomed the establishment of the Building Safety Regulator saying “it marks a big change in the way the UK oversees the safety and standards of all buildings; helping and encouraging those in the built environment industry and building control professionals to improve their competence. It will also lead on the implementation of the new regulatory framework for high-rise buildings.”