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Dr David Maunder is GHD’s Future Energy Lead for our Europe, Middle East and Africa region. He is a leading UK expert in the transition to renewable sources of energy and a decarbonised energy system. He has over thirty years of experience in the energy sector and has worked with some of the UK’s leading organisations.
david.maunder@ghd.com
+44 191 731 611
David Maunder, Future Energy
CELEBRATING PROGRESS
All in all, the road to a net zero carbon world takes time. The government's 10-point plan is a huge step in the right direction. But there is plenty of work to do to turn it into a reality.
In terms of the bigger picture, it’s not as simple as transitioning to fully renewable electricity sources overnight and then putting our feet up. We cannot completely turn our backs on fossil fuels, we must make increasing investments in green technologies and, just as significantly, we will all need to change our habits if we are to succeed.
Here, transparency could also play a key role. A concept such as ‘carbon labelling’ – where the likes of monthly energy and water bills carry an approximate carbon impact assessment – would mean customers better understand their carbon footprint and see the progress suppliers are making.
Generating interest in the progress that businesses’ investments are making can only be a good thing when it comes to engaging the wider public and increasing customer satisfaction, in particular when it comes to regulated industries.
Evidently, there is a long way to go in terms of achieving net zero. But through greater transparency and openly available, accessible information on the impact of our choices on the planet, consumers can be the driving force behind the change needed to achieve our environmental goals.
Clearly, many would like to opt for more sustainable services and products, which in turn would drive business decision making and investment. But asking people to change when they don’t understand the impact of what they are doing is difficult.
It’s for this reason that publishing estimates as to the carbon footprint impact of the goods and services people use each day – a similar concept to that of the calorie labels we see on food and drink – can be a catalyst of widespread industry transformation.
FOOTING THE BILL
Lower carbon does not always mean higher cost. In fact, we have seen great success in the renewable electricity generation sector. Here, there have been huge reductions in the cost of generating electricity from, say, offshore wind or solar farms recently, as economies of scale and technology innovation kicks in.
At present, a business’s transparency when it comes to environmental impact rarely leaves the pages of the lengthy, wordy annual report.
However, consumer behaviour could be a key agent of change when it comes to meeting the net zero targets that many businesses have now committed to. Be it the way we use energy at home, the data we use, the products we buy or the journeys we take - all have measurable impact on the environment.
According to our research, over 80 percent of the British public struggle to understand the carbon footprint of their daily lives, yet almost two thirds would likely make lower carbon choices if they were better informed.
3 MINUTE READ
Giving consumers the power to drive down carbon
New GHD research addresses the critical role of consumer transparency on the road to net zero
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Pumped for pumped hydro projects?
How to choose the best and dump the duds
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John Hensman, Water
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Jonathan Edwards, Transport
40%
state they would pay more than an additional five percent for lower-carbon products and services will bring
2/3
would likely make
lower carbon choices if they were better informed
80%
of the British public struggle
to understand the carbon footprint of their daily lives
Nevertheless, lowering the carbon impact of the services we use and the goods we buy each day is likely to come at an additional cost, particularly as new low-carbon systems and technologies get used for the first time.
Significantly, though, our findings show a clear willingness on the part of the public to contribute to the cost of greener services and products. In fact, most are happy willing to pay more, and 40 percent state they would pay more than an additional five percent for lower-carbon products and services will bring.
Within the next thirty years we will need to do more to combat the effects of climate change than we have done in the last 200. Huge efforts are going into enabling this effort on the part of the government and British businesses, but the role of the consumer as a key agent of change has yet to be fully recognised.
At present, a business’s transparency when it comes to environmental impact rarely leaves the pages of the lengthy, wordy annual report.
However, consumer behaviour could be a key agent of change when it comes to meeting the net zero targets that many businesses have now committed to. Be it the way we use energy at home, the data we use, the products we buy or the journeys we take - all have measurable impact on the environment.
According to our research, over 80 percent of the British public struggle to understand the carbon footprint of their daily lives, yet almost two thirds would likely make lower carbon choices if they were better informed.
Within the next thirty years we will need to do more to combat the effects of climate change than we have done in the last 200. Huge efforts are going into enabling this effort on the part of the government and British businesses, but the role of the consumer as a key agent of change has yet to be fully recognised.
At present, a business’s transparency when it comes to environmental impact rarely leaves the pages of the lengthy, wordy annual report.
However, consumer behaviour could be a key agent of change when it comes to meeting the net zero targets that many businesses have now committed to. Be it the way we use energy at home, the data we use, the products we buy or the journeys we take - all have measurable impact on the environment.
According to our research, over 80 percent of the British public struggle to understand the carbon footprint of their daily lives, yet almost two thirds would likely make lower carbon choices if they were better informed.
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Within the next thirty years we will need to do more to combat the effects of climate change than we have done in the last 200. Huge efforts are going into enabling this effort on the part of the government and British businesses, but the role of the consumer as a key agent of change has yet to be fully recognised.
The UK government’s recently announced 10-point plan is vital in creating a decarbonised economy. However, in tandem with the additional investment, the next stage of this process is ensuring the UK will also require consumers to act as agents of change in their own right.
