Graduates of renewable energy courses and other professional installers of green technology need to be protected from bad press caused by "unscrupulous" bandwagon-jumpers, it has been suggested.

Kevin Wellman, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering's operations director, said it is a chief concern at the moment that undesirable people are prevented from getting involved in the sector and spoiling things for "the competent and conscientious installers out there".

His comments were made when asked how important it is that the government remains committed to the success of new initiatives such as the green investment bank.

Mr Wellman stated that while he believes it is vital, it is fortunate that in the UK these days "people are becoming more familiar and more comfortable with discussions about carbon footprint".

Earlier this week, the Confederation of British Industry warned that the country is not attracting enough investment to be able to build a low-carbon infrastructure.

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