Taking place on 14 November in Birmingham, the event will look at how we need to change how we plan, design and maintain RACHP systems to adapt for challenges to system resilience caused by climate changes being experienced now in the UK.  Technical difficulties of larger design envelopes, higher load demands, balancing environmental objectives and adapting existing stock of systems will be discussed at this one-day event.

A panel discussion will look at what practical steps those in the RACHP sector should adopt. This discussion will emphasise the significance of maintaining net-zero objectives when planning for more challenging design conditions.

Book your place here

 

Programme

10:00 Welcome from Conference Chair Andy Pearson, Chair of the International Refrigeration Committee

Keynote presentations

10:10 Adapting industry to withstand rising temperatures and future heatwaves. Laura Kent, IMechE and Ruth Shilston, Mott MacDonald

10:40 The economic impact of extreme heat.  Leyla Sayin, Centre for Sustainable Cooling, University of Birmingham

Lessons from hot places - What can the UK learn?  

11:10 The development of Jordan's national cooling strategy. Sawan Baaresh, Royal Scientific Society 

11:40 Designing refrigeration equipment for warmer climates. Yosr Allouche, International Institute of Refrigeration

12:10 Lunch 

13:00 What practical measures can businesses take to mitigate extreme heat?

Discussion chaired by Andrew Bowden, Managing Director of J&E Hall. 

  • How can energy demand management be utilised to achieve net zero? Anastasia Mylona, CIBSE
  • How should we improve design? Conor Eaton-Smith, K2 Engineering Cooling
  • What is the role of maintenance and servicing? John Bonner, City Facilities Management 
  • How can academia support businesses in tackling extreme heat challenges? Catarina Marques, London South Bank University

Adapting to extreme heat - paving the way forward 

14:00 New blend refrigerants for higher ambient temperatures. Koura Global

14:30 How refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment design will need to adapt to cope with climate change. Kashif Nawaz, Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

15:00 The Heat Action Platform - reducing the human and economic impacts of extreme heat. Owen Gow, Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.

15:30 Conference Close - Lessons from the Briefing. What happens next?

 

Site tour 

Optional post-conference site tour of the Mondelez-Cadbury UK factory at Bourneville. The tour will include a visit to the refrigeration plant and an explanation of the manufacturing process.  

 

 

Recent posts

Retail sustainability with the enough project

28 May 2025

Lots to discuss at the "enough" retail workshop on commercial refrigeration and food chain emissions reduction on  27th May

News

New IOR Guidance Note on Coaching

22 May 2025

IOR has published its latest Education Guidance Note in the series, this time focusing on Coaching as a way of employers supporting engineering and technician development.  The Guidance Note (16) gives a guide to understanding the benefits of coaching, how this differs from mentoring and includes a useful list of organisations who can offer help with setting up coaching schemes or offer coaching.

Publication

Members Back Cold Chain To Be Part of UK's Critical Infrastructure

21 May 2025

IOR members showed their support for the Cold Chain Federation (CCF) campaign to recognise the Cold Chain as part of the UK's critical national infrastructure, as they attended the CCF's reception at the Houses of Parliament on 20th May.

News

First Keynote Announced For Adaptation 2025

8 May 2025

Expert in climate change adaptation Tim Fox will deliver a keynote talk at the IOR’s Adaptation 2025 conference detailing why cooling is now a “mission critical” service, essential to public health, food security, global commerce, and economic well-being.

Live event

Missed the Presentation on Greenhouse Gas Mitigation?

7 May 2025

Watch this webinar on catch-up, which focused on implementing technologies and operational strategies capable of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the European retail sector. 

Recording