the Carbon Challenge

Change We Can Believe In!

   Guest blog by Chris Watt, Parliamentary Affairs Adviser

 

The news in recent weeks has been full of the election of Barack Obama as US President, with his slogan of ‘Change We Can Believe In’. Most people might find our Parliament pretty dull by comparison, unless you count the weekly spat between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg at Prime Ministers Questions, which is not at all typical of most Parliamentary proceedings.

 

But this week, Parliament got very exciting for us here at the Energy Saving Trust.  Two vital pieces of legislation were being debated which will have a major impact on progress towards fulfilling our mission of developing a low carbon economy, by leading 60 million citizens to act on climate change. These are the Climate Change Bill and the Energy Bill.

 

The Climate Change Bill is historic, the first time any country in the world has set down its carbon emissions reduction targets in law. We are delighted that the Government has set tough targets for UK emissions cuts. Home energy efficiency will play a major part in meeting these.

Throughout debates on the Energy Bill, the Energy Saving Trust pressed the Government for a number of important changes. This week’s debates in Parliament saw Ministers bring in amendments to implement these.

Firstly, the role of the energy regulator Ofgem is going to be changed to make sure that one of its priorities is encouraging a sustainable, as well as an economically viable energy market.

The second change to the original Bill, will enable the Government to introduce a feed in tariff to encourage domestic microgeneration. Over the past few months, we, along with a diverse coalition of other organisations, including Friends of the Earth, the Country Land and Business Association and the Trades Union Congress, have been calling on the Government to introduce a renewable energy, or feed in tariff.  We managed to gain cross-party support for our proposals, which were moved by Labour MP Alan Simpson and supported by both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties. Indeed, at our recent Parliamentary event to promote the issue, at one point we had the Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment, Energy and Climate Change Secretary and the entire Conservative Energy and Climate Change team in the same room at once!

Although the Government did not commit to introducing a feed in tariff within a year as we had hoped, it is aiming to have one in place by April 2010. We are nonetheless delighted that Ministers have accepted our arguments that if we are to move to the large scale uptake of domestic renewable energy generation needed to meet our climate change goals, then some sort of incentive for householders is needed.

 

The feed in tariff amendments were carried unanimously by MPs and at the end of the day, Parliament is where important changes like this take place: changes that we, at the Energy Saving Trust, can believe in, as President Elect Obama might say!  Perhaps Parliament is not always so boring after all!

Britain Unplugged....

Just a quick post to tell you about the recent launch of our new website - Britain Unplugged - a brand new community acting to make Britain a bit greener. It’s made up of people who care about climate change and are taking simple steps to do something about it. Britain Unplugged gives people across the UK the opportunity to take up the challenge and show others what they're doing to help. This might be recommending a green website, insulating a loft, or making their own film.

Why not visit the site, join up and check out what others are doing as well as take par in the latest challenge? You can also check out the Britain Unplugged blog and find out a bit more about our work at the Energy Saving Trust.

Energy Saving Week - part 2!

Well, I am delighted to say that our Energy Saving Week (20 – 26 October) was perhaps our best yet…well certainly if the media coverage is anything to go by! Even more so, when you consider that we were up against what seemed to be the almost perpetual coverage of the US Election and the ‘Credit Crunch’!

Anyway, for those of you not in the know this year’s theme was the `Green / Life Balance', which drew on the fact that all of us are getting busier, working harder and having less time to do the things that we want to do, and therefore struggling to find time to fit being green into our daily lives. 

To support our theme we commissioned research in which two thousand people throughout the UK and 1,000 each across France, Spain, Sweden, and Germany took part in the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken into different European countries' attitudes towards finding time to be green. What the research showed is that people in the UK and across Europe want to be green, but often work and family responsibilities just keep getting in the way.

According to the research, while Brits' desire to save money is motivating them to take energy saving measures, pressure on their time is stopping them going further to save energy and find a 'green/life balance':

Some of the key highlights of the research were that:

• Half of Brits (50 per cent) quizzed, say that they would take more steps to cut their CO2 emissions if only they had more time.
• Brits are spending around 170 million hours each year waiting on hold on the telephone, and more than 210 million hours stuck in traffic!
• Six in 10 (62 per cent) UK residents spend more than 10 minutes a week standing in queues.
• Almost half (48 per cent) Brits waste more than 10 minutes a week waiting for the kettle to boil.

And in Europe:

Almost half (46 per cent) of Spaniards spend 10 minutes a week or more taking siestas.

• Twenty-one per cent of Frenchmen and women spend more than 10 minutes a week waiting for their food to arrive in a restaurant.
• Eight in 10 (80 per cent) Germans spend at least 10 minutes every week organising their desks.

Later in the week, we issued further research, focusing on the employee angle, which showed that a third of Brits say that their job is the main reason that they do not have time to be green. But 44 per cent of employees said they would be more motivated if their employer offered some kind of a green benefit, such as loans for energy efficient products, free visits from an 'energy doctor' to tell them what they can do to save energy at home, and access to green finance products, to encourage them to live a greener lifestyle.

The end result was an avalanche of media coverage – some of which I have highlighted below:

UK

Television

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=92463

Press

Daily Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/20/1-in-3-share-baths-to-cut-energy-cost-115875-20820827/
The Metro
The Daily Sport(!)

Online

GMTV website: http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=31193
GMTV website: http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=31245
Virgin:http://latestnews.virginmedia.com/news/environment/2008/10/20/brits_snuggle_up_to_cut_energy_bills_1
Yahoo: http://uk.yahoo.com/?p=us
T3: http://www.t3.com/news/lg-steam-washing-machine-green-edition?=37025
Newconsumer:http://www.newconsumer.com/news/item/ooh_la_la_brits_find_new_ways_to_be_green/
Business green: http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2228611/miliband-calls-business-promote
Fairhome: http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/10/21/please-save-the-planet-shower-with-a-friend/

Blogs

Islandpulse.co.uk: http://www.islandpulse.co.uk/b2/top-tips-for-energy-saving-week/
Green Ladywell: http://greenladywell.blogspot.com/2008/10/confessions-of-green-councillor.html
IES: http://blog.iesve.com/index.php/2008/10/22/happy-energy-saving-week/
How to save Energy: http://howtosaveenergy.blogspot.com/2008/10/energy-saving-week.html
Sheep Drove: http://sheepdrove.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/energy-saving-week/
Davye: http://www.dayve.co.uk/blog/2008/10/oxfam-world-food-crisis-appeal-greener.html

National Press Associations

Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=atp26YaV9.qQ&refer=uk
PA News

Scotland

Press

Daily Record: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/news-feed/2008/10/20/double-bath-86908-20820809/
Scotsman: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Try-putting-on-an-eco.4607613.jp
Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/20/1-in-3-share-baths-to-cut-energy-cost-115875-20820827/
Guide & Gazette: http://www.guideandgazette.co.uk/latest-scottish-news/Scots-would-share-bath-to.4607725.jp
Carrick Today: http://www.carricktoday.co.uk/latest-scottish-news/Scots-would-share-bath-to.4607725.jp

Online

BBC Scotland online: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/default.stm

Wales

Television

Wedi 3 – Elin Llyr appeared on Welsh magazine programme ‘Wedi 3’ Tuesday discussing energy saving gadgets and Energy Saving Week.

Radio

BBC Radio Cymru (‘Nia’ lifestyle programme) – Elin Llyr was live in the studio Monday morning discussing Energy Saving Week and ‘A’ Rated Appliances.

Press

Carmarthen Journal – A feature piece was published in Thursday’s edition of ‘Carmarthen Journal’ regarding how energy consumption has changed over the years.
Y Cymro – A feature was published in Friday’s edition of ‘Y Cymro’ regarding Glyn Wise’s support for Energy Saving Week and his top energy saving tips for students.

Northern Ireland

Television

UTV News (No. 1 Evening News Programme in NI) - Feature on sharing baths & saving energy 

Radio

BBC Radio Ulster - Interview with Noel Williams (Head of EST NI)
Citybeat - Interview with Noel Williams for evening news show

Press

Belfast Telegraph:  http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/environment/people-in-northern-ireland-more-likely-to-share-bath-to-save-cash-14008188.html?action=Email
Belfast Telegraph - People in Northern Ireland more likely to share bath to save cash
Belfast Telegraph – Lights and Gadgets Left Switched On Costs 5m
Belfast Telegraph - Save 5m a Year by Simple Flick of a Switch
Carrick Times - Going Green Can Save Money

Is a "nudge" enough...?

Now, before I update you on the coverage we achieved during last week's Energy Saving Week, I thought I'd quickly mention the Local Government Association climate change debate that I took part in last Wednesday (22nd October 2008).

The debate was entitled "Is a Nudge Enough? Can Climate Change be Tackled Without Government Intervention?"  Now, you may be wondering what is meant by "nudge" in this context - well, the idea stems from two economic professors (based at the University of Chicago) who proposed that rather than government telling people how to live their lives – they should look instead to encourage or “nudge” people to live that way.  You can find out more about the ‘Nudge’ theory by clicking here

With panellists including Greg Barker MP, Conservative Shadow Minister of State for Climate Change, Michael Meacher MP, former Labour Minister for the Environment and Liberal Democrat Councillor Alexis Rowell of Camden Council, the debate was lively and wide ranging. Cllr. Alexis Rowell noted that councils can do more, perhaps more than anyone, to lead in this fight, and pointed out many of the excellent examples of work being done by Camden Council in this area. I have to agree with his mantra of 'insulation, insulation, insulation' as one of the key solutions in solving climate change. It may not be the sexiest of products, but there is no point in doing the flashy stuff like solar PV, or ground source heat pumps unless a property is properly insulated.  Pleasingly - despite Greg Barker and Michael Meacher having different political persuasions they both agreed that the government needs to show leadership and be prepared to expend political capital for the good of the environment. They further agreed that we have reached the point where regulations and frameworks are not enough - actual visible, coherent and long-term action is required to really get to the heart of this global issue. Greg Barker noted that the credit crunch should be used to encourage people to work towards a solution to climate change rather than to take this agenda off the table. Questions from the floor that stirred debate included how councils could be encouraged to pursue environmentally focused ends, and what role the government and the LGA has in encouraging councils and highlighting new technologies and methods for tackling climate change. The event was a great success and attracted in excess of sixty attendees, many of whom stayed to discuss the issues raised during the debate at the reception afterwards. Of course debate and discussion won't itself cut carbon, so it is imperative that our focus remains on encouraging and promoting the actions that will help us to meet the 80 per cent CO₂ reduction target by 2050.

Oh - and you may be wondering -was there any agreement to the specific debate question "Is a nudge enough? Can Climate Change be Tackled Without Government Intervention?" Well, from my own perspective whilst government - whether nationally, or locally - needs to set an example, it is down to each of us to be responsible for ensuring that we live our lives in the most low carbon way possible. Perhaps then something a bit stronger than a "nudge" is needed! Maybe a "push" or "shove" is more in order?!

 

Energy Saving Week - part 1!

Phew – well, it’s nearly the end of another successful Energy Saving Week, and whilst I promise to give you a full round up next week of the key media highlights and successes, I thought I would take the opportunity to quickly mention two other stand-out events of the week.

If you managed to catch the highlights of Prime Minister’s Questions on the news this week, you may already know about the first one – especially if you spotted a flash of very bright green just behind David Cameron.

This was intrepid Conservative MP Bill Wiggin, who was the only MP courageous enough to sport one of the ties were giving to MPs to show their support for Energy Saving Week. I understand that Mr Cameron was somewhat startled by Mr Wiggin’s attire when he turned round at one point during the session! But here at the Energy Saving Trust we are delighted that he so publicly demonstrated his support for our message that energy efficiency is cheapest and cleanest way to cut your carbon emissions and your energy bills.

Bill Wiggin MP (unfortunately without the green tie!)

As well as giving this message to the public, we also want to make sure that MPs are aware of this important issue and indeed, pass on good advice to their constituents. So during this Energy Saving Week, we held two advice stands, complete with Energy Doctors, in Parliament, giving information to MPs and the many other people who work there.

We were pleased to receive a visit to the stand from Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock MP (pictured here with our Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Chris Watt – sporting one those ties so you can see just how bright they were – Energy Doctor Salim Njonga and Shelley Green from our Consumer Marketing team).

I

n all, we gave some 80 of the ties to MPs who support Energy Saving Week. But sadly only Bill Wiggin was brave enough to wear one on national television!

The second event - a real coup for us – took place on Monday, when I invited local authorities from across England to join me for a roundtable discussion with Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The event focused on the challenges local authorities face, what role they see themselves playing in reducing emissions, what barriers they have faced and how Government can help local authorities going forward.

The local authority roundtable in action

One of the outcomes from the event was in showing that local authorities do need and want leadership from government and other local authorities on the ‘green’ agenda - and that working in partnership with other organisations is crucial to tackling the issue of climate change. Another issue discussed was the problems local authorities face when trying to install renewable technology in their area.

I was also pleased the local authorities present were in agreement that the issue of climate change needs to be raised, and that to secure real progress involves us all working together to win hearts and minds.

Anyway, as I promised at the beginning of my rather long post, I shall send round the key media highlights and successes early next week. I won’t give away any more information – other than to say we even secured coverage in the Daily Sport. This surely has to be a first for any environmental organisation?!

On the road (again!)

I can’t remember who it was said that a week was a long time in politics, well I can assure you that after three weeks on the Party Conference road it seems like an eternity, not only because of the succession of meetings, fringe events, snack food, early starts and late nights, but also it’s amazing reflecting on the last three weeks what has fundamentally changed in the political landscape.

The Lib Dems met in Bournemouth and I have to say it was a fairly muted event, easy going, low security but somewhat reflected by the weather in being rather grey and overcast.  EST had a really good and well attended fringe with Steve Webb on Developing Low Carbon Citizenship.  There was lots of fringe enthusiasm generally, although my perspective would be that the environment was not so far up the agenda as in previous years with the Lib Dems.   This I think was also reflected in the Green Standard, a review of the state of the Parties regarding the environment co-ordinated by Green Alliance.  I thought Vince Cable made an excellent speech which somewhat over-shadowed that of his leader Nick Clegg, fully of good common sense, provocative where necessary, but as always with the Shadow Chancellor, difficult to avoid the thrust of his major arguments particularly around financial probity both personally and collectively.

A move onto Labour’s conference at Manchester, which unsurprisingly was a much higher profile affair, once again bringing the centre of Manchester to a complete standstill much to the annoyance of Mancuians I spoke to!  I am not sure personally that re-directing the conference to Manchester has been quite a successful as the Party of the North had hoped, anyway, apart from the infamous 3am press conferences following the drinking and the occasional debate we ran a good couple of fringes ourselves, the highlight of which was one with the Environment Secretary of State Hilary Benn.  However, I have to say that in many respects the minds of the delegates appeared to be elsewhere rather inward looking, again in weather terms cloudy, occasionally sunny but never any chance of full sunshine.

Finally, via a brief trip back to the office, to Birmingham and the Conservatives.  I was fully expecting it to be a rather more gun ho affair than it turned out to be.  George Osbourne, seriously serious, David Cameron, seriously statesman like, but the party literally was rather muted.  Some welcome news on transport and aviation, a sign of some brave decision making perhaps but disappointment that no commitment is given to increasing the amount of Green Taxes, particularly around high emitting passenger vehicles.  A lively couple of fringes, particularly one with Charles Hendry on the Renewables 2020 Action Plan which was launched at each conference by the Renewable Energy Association and the Royal Society of Arts where we have had some considerable input into contents.  Go to www.thersa.org\energy2020 to view.

Charles Hendry the Shadow Energy spokesman was really on message with regard to energy efficiency and micro generation and surprisingly sceptical about large scale infrastructure projects so hope for the future!  But again following a sunny start it began to drizzle.  I only caught the text so the transcript and the highlights of Cameron’s speech, that was the one on the last day by the way, I think it set some sort of record speaking every day, but it was noticeable that with one exception the environment featured very little serving only as a back drop to re-enforce the context around poverty and community.  I fear we have a job in the current climate in all partners that has got to get it back up, the Government and Oppositions agenda.  Anyway here’s to better food, no alcohol and sound sleeping before getting back into the fray.

The C(arbon) Factor

Now, without wishing to diminish my own credibility too much, I have to admit to watching the X Factor the other weekend. My excuse is that I was at a loose end whilst up at the Labour Party Conference, but I’ll leave it to you to decide whether you believe me or not!
 
Anyway the show, unsurprisingly, consisted of the usual put downs, atrocious singing, and a fair amount of crying, however, what interested me was how the judges arrived to the audition venues. Whilst I accept that part of the show’s appeal is to create glitz and glamour out of what is – in effect – a glorified talent / karaoke contest – I have to question whether helicopters and limos used by the judges to travel to the audition venues are really necessary. Surely by glamorising two methods of transport that represent a flagrant disregard towards the environment gives out entirely the wrong message to their millions of viewers. Now, whilst I’m not necessarily suggesting that the judges have to travel in a low-carbon car (although that would be nice), I think the producers could at least resist the glamour / slow mo shots of Simon, Danni, Louis and Cheryl each arriving separately in their helicopter / limo.  Surely that’s not too much to ask? Perhaps, dare I say, they could share! I think this week I’ll stick to attending and watching the Conservative Party Conference.

Making saving energy sexy

Some of you might not know that we have a network of Green Ambassadors - people who are committed to saving energy, and trying to influence others to do the same. We also speak to them regularly and really value their views which give us a first hand insight into the pressures and issues that people across the UK face in trying to live a low carbon lifestyle. Last week, one of our Green Ambassadors, Sue Sheehan, took part in a media opportunity, which involved Gordon Brown visiting her house to discuss energy saving. Sue kindly agreed to write a blog for us about the experience - and the need to make saving energy more aspirational.

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“We need to start treating energy as a precious resource and stop wasting it.” That was the gist of what Gordon Brown said to me when he came to my house last week, although that particular point went unreported.

 

The prime minister visited me and my family as an example of a household that had made improvements to its home to cut energy use. I told him how we had cut our household use by 40% by draught-proofing and adding secondary glazing, but also by taking care to keep heat in by doing simple things such as closing the curtains at dusk
My husband was well chuffed when Gordon said we were a ‘model’ for families who want to cut their fuel bills and reduce their carbon emissions.

 

The press were not quite so impressed however, with headlines such as “SLASH YOUR FUEL BILLS? JUST DRAW THE CURTAINS” from the Daily Star. But while many articles criticized this advice as ‘not enough’, particularly for low income families, they also carried easy to understand advice and graphics that underline the Energy Saving Trust messages on energy efficiency. Some success there then.

 

The fact that we are generally a ‘wasteful’ society when it comes to energy is not an easy message to deliver. Simple measures such as closing curtains are not particularly ‘sexy’ to talk about. But I am convinced that as a society we can halve our carbon emissions simply by cutting out waste – in all areas of our lives – not just household energy.

I personally prefer to focus on giving positive messages, good news stories, but if we want to engage the press perhaps we should focus on highlighting ‘waste crimes’ so that it become unacceptable to walk around the house in nothing but a tee-shirt in the middle of winter, or undertake excessive plane or car journeys, for example. These are not just personal choices. They are choices that affect the whole planet.

 

It’s all about ‘waste’ and now I know that senior politicians, including Gordon Brown, understand this as much as the likes of Energy Saving Trust Green Ambassadors and Philip Sellwood. But generally I don’t think we are talking about it enough. I am getting a conversation going in my own community through the Hyde Farm Climate Action Network (Hyde Farm CAN), without which I probably would not have been able to achieve as much as I have done in my own house. But I don’t see many other people out there working to make mundane activities such as ‘draughtproofing’ easier or more interesting, or linking them to the fact that they may actually help us save the planet and reduce or dependence on limited resources.

 

The day after the prime minister’s visit I attended a Big Green Challenge event. Organised by NESTA the Big Green Challenge rewards ‘innovative’ ideas from communities who are trying to activate communities to cut carbon. Although the standard of entries is high and the competition has highlighted that there are huge numbers of creative individuals finding ways to cut carbon, as far as I can see none of the ten groups selected for the final £1m prize have yet found a way of making energy efficiency ‘sexy’ or aspirational.

 

No sour grapes then that Hyde Farm CAN isn’t one of the ten finalists! But then I bet they haven’t had a visit from the Prime Minister!

Eyes down...

I was delighted to read yesterday that Mecca Bingo and Scottish and Southern Energy are joining forces to give away two million free energy saving light bulbs this September to help Mecca’s members use less energy, save money and, of course, reduce CO2 emissions too. Indeed, it has the potential to save 26,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – that’s the total emissions of 4,400 households. It’s a no strings deal – members simply need to turn up, show their membership card and they’ll receive two energy saving light bulbs.

Given the increasing burden of rising fuel prices, I am confident that this campaign will help bingo fans across the UK to switch to energy saving light bulbs, and so help achieve a significant step-change in people’s attitudes towards saving energy in their home.

Land fit for heroes?

I was really taken by two contrasting, but complementary pieces of news coverage yesterday. One of them was on MSN news online about the launch of the new “fat map” for the UK pointing out where the highest levels of obesity across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland occur. (I was intrigued as to why the Shetlands should feature so highly - any ideas from the Islands?).

As an aside I was also amused by a quote from a Senior Project Manager at Doctor Foster Research who, with a poker face, talking about obesity was still able to say that there does seem to be a “growing” problem in some areas.  Oh well - some people just don’t do irony! 

The other piece was an article in the Guardian by Claire Armitstead discussing the contrasting and probably conflicting need to invest in sports facilities for cycling (following our results in the Olympics) compared with Philip Insall - the self styled bike fixer general of charity Sustrans who, quite rightly, is pitching for greater investment in general cycling facilities and infrastructure.  What sensible parent is going to allow their kid onto the road without the appropriate cycle lane and associated safety features? This is one parent who won’t be.  Regardless of whether it is to do with congestion charging, obesity levels rising, or sporting excellence in Beijing - what is vital is that we understand cycling could, should and is for everyone. As Insall is quoted as saying “we have more obese children and much lower levels of daily cycling than Germany with its two cycling medals and Sweden and Switzerland who did not even feature on the medal board in Beijing.  The difference being, of course, is that they invest five to ten times the amount of money in sustainable transport compared to the UK”. There is a lesson there, both for those who want to be off the “fat map” and those on two wheels.

(Credit: Chris Hill)

Without the proper infrastructure investment, cycling will remain a potentially hazardous method of travel.