NKBA Global Connect Strategic Alliance Partner, BMA, brought together supporting manufacturers, organizations and associations to reprise the Windsor Water Declaration Summit commitment
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), representing more than 55,000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals and the owners of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), was proud to join NKBA Global Connect Strategic Alliance Partner, BMA at the Windsor Water Declaration Summit in October 2024 at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England. The international assembly of manufacturers, organizations and associations addressed urgent global challenges around water scarcity and the need for robust anti-microbial resistance initiatives. The group was reconvened at the NKBA-owned industry event — KBIS — for a panel discussion entitled, “The Windsor Declaration: Driving Global Change.” The session took place on the KBIS NEXT Stage, where presentations were sponsored by Ferguson Home, at the Las Vegas Convention Center recapping the Summit and the resulting Windsor Declaration commitment to water safety.
The Summit was held at St. George’s House on the grounds of historic Windsor Castle in England — an inspiring venue, which, the panelists concurred, contributed to the gravity and momentous nature of the event.
Moderator Tom Reynolds, Chief Executive of UK’s Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA), an NKBA Global Connect Strategic Alliance Partner, welcomed a panel including Bill Darcy, Global President and CEO of the NKBA; Matt Sigler, Executive Director, International Code Council at PMG; Jen Cassidy, CEO of UK Bristan Group at Masco; Troy Benavidez, Leader of International Government Relations and Policy at LIXIL International; Laura Kohler, Chief Sustainability Officer at Kohler Co., and Fernando Fernandez, Director of Engineering and Regulatory Affairs at TOTO USA.
Signers of The Windsor Declaration pledged to invest in research and development aimed at cutting billions of gallons in water waste, reducing the spread of harmful bacteria, advancing product innovations like water-efficient toilets, touchless technology and leak detection to enhance hygiene and address water scarcity.
Darcy noted it’s important for NKBA to participate in summits and conferences like these “to provide a platform for sharing resulting insights and data on this and other like topics, connecting our members to various sources and experts on emerging and evolving issues key to the kitchen and bath industry, globally.”
Laura Kohler said the most significant element was that the summit brought together people from all over the kitchen and bath industry and the world, from associations and manufacturing, acknowledging two really important issues that the world is facing: “Water connects everyone, we all need water to live,” she said. “So, we were very focused on what this industry can do for water scarcity and anti-microbial resistance, and the ability of this industry to impact health and hygiene through our innovations and installations of our products.”
The Nexus of Water Scarcity and Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR)
The Windsor Summit’s two major issues — water scarcity and anti-microbial resistance (AMR), that is, bacteria that are not affected by antibiotics — are critical and interrelated.
Fernandez explained that water scarcity perpetuates a “vicious cycle of improper hygiene and sanitation. We all need hygiene for handwashing, cooking, and bathing. And when you don’t have access to fresh, clean water, diseases spread, like cholera and typhoid. These are major concerns. Water scarcity is no less important in modern countries, and we have to make sure we are educating and teaching on that subject continually.”
Kohler added that anti-microbial resistance could claim 10 million lives a year by 2050; it’s currently responsible for at least 700,000 deaths globally a year, including 230,000 deaths from multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. The economic burden of this is significant, and could cost the global economy $100 trillion by 2050.
“So, clean sanitation practices that combat anti-microbial resistance are really important as we reduce the spread of infection,” Kohler said. “They say the next pandemic is already here, it’s really how we handle our wellness practices that will keep us all safe. The industry is very focused on this. The second key factor about water scarcity is that water is finite. Yes, it covers 71% of the planet, but only 3% of that is fresh water, and less than 1% is accessible for human use. According to the World Resource Institute, at least 50% of the world’s population live under water-stressed conditions one month a year. Even here in the U.S. — in California, Arizona, parts of Florida — they experience water-stressed environments.”
A “Foundational” Global Agreement
Benavidez said listing these collective commitments in a formal agreement is a “very public demonstration and high-visibility opportunity for organizations like ourselves to come together to show our commitment to the issues and to be held accountable to the public for what we say we’re going to do. It’s this kind of public accountability and commitment that makes these agreements so critical. It then allows us to work together, to advocate, to find the policies that will move these issues along, to innovate as manufacturers, and to educate. The agreements are foundational to that.”
Reynolds concluded that despite being competitors in the day-to-day marketplace, this is a time for collaboration and cooperation.
The text of The Windsor Declaration may be found on the BMA’s website, or click here to watch the presentation from KBIS.
