So how is the UK doing in cutting carbon emissions?

The excellent second report from the Committee on Climate Change was released this week. It shows that in 2009 the UK’s carbon emissions decreased by 8.6%.

There were a number of underlying factors for this decrease. UK GDP fell by 5%, residential gas prices increased by 12% and 2009 had fewer days of temperature below the heating threshold compared to 2008 (surprisingly given the very cold winter).

The overall message from the Committee is that this decrease shouldn’t lead to complacency and a change of activity is required. As always the Committee was crystal clear about what changes are needed.

Some of these are already in the policy pipeline for the new administration including setting a carbon floor price, funding the demonstration projects for carbon capture and storage (although these should be extended to include gas), increasing investment in renewable, the electrification of  transport and improving energy efficiency in the domestic sector.

There are, however, areas of uncertainty and potential weakness. Last year saw people shift their car purchasing decisions to more fuel efficient cars and the Committee suggested that the Coalition Government should seek to embed this change by altering Vehicle Excise Duty.

The Committee highlighted the length of time it is taking to secure planning for renewable energy projects (over 40 months for larger projects) and it is uncertain what implications the change in planning law will have on these and potential nuclear plants.

Finally, there are still areas of the economy where more policy drivers and support is needed, most notably the agricultural sector and small and medium sized enterprises.

Highly commended but no cigar

On Wednesday evening, I went to a black tie charity award event where we had been short-listed for two awards by Third Sector Magazine and the Charities Aid Foundation for our partnership with Sky.

Unfortunately, we didn’t quite win but got second place ‘highly commended’. On reflection this was probably a good thing because the Global Action Plan contingent were rather inebriated and I'm not sure we would have made it to the stage and the photographs would have been shameful.

Earlier in the week Lucy Carver from Sky and I had given a presentation about the partnership to an NCVO breakfast meeting. We have always been very open about the strengths and weaknesses of the partnership acknowledging the challenges as well as the successes. 

What is increasingly obvious is how far-reaching the partnership is. We are now working with Sky on their supply chain communications, their future talent training, their in-house communications and their volunteering programmes.

One of the definite successes of the project has been our Appetite for Action school project. The awards for this were handed out during the week, one of which went to a fantastic school in Scotland where all 6 pupils are growing their own food, reducing food waste and cutting food packaging.

Danielle Lineker and smoked salmon

I spent Friday morning at a smoked fish factory in East London interviewing Danielle Lineker looking drop-dead gorgeous in her vintage dress and talking about her wormery. It really happened, I was not still suffering from the aftermath of the charity award drinks – honest!

It was at our EcoTeam Team Green Britain Day event and the factory overlooked the new Olympic stadium. It is already an incredible sight and does set the pulse racing about the excitement that will hit London when the Olympics start. 

Team Green Britain is aiming to use the inspiration of the Olympics as a catalyst to encourage people to live more sustainably. It is seeking to help people travel more sustainably, to be greener in the home and to alter their eating habits to create less environmental damage. We are helping on the greener home element and have been working with our celebrity ambassador, Danielle Lineker. 

I have been really impressed with the authentic and credible way Danielle has taken to the challenges we set. I had feared for the lives of the worms, but they are now the star attraction for her daughter’s friends. Showering timers have been installed, much to Gary’s chagrin. Hair straighteners and driers have been largely discarded for the beachy look and the energy monitors have made the home even more efficient.

What really surprised me was that she is obviously thinking more about every aspect of her lifestyle. They are starting to cycle more and she commented upon how much nicer it was to do some exercise and get out on the bikes with the family.

Community energy schemes

On Wednesday I was on a panel chaired by Jonathon Porritt at the Ashden Awards conference. The panel was discussing the results of a new research report produced by Ashden examining the role that community-based initiatives have on delivering more sustainable energy solutions. If ever there are examples of the Big Society in action these schemes are it.

The report highlighted what has been achieved, (usually by highly committed, tenacious individuals with broad-backs and a ferocious, stubborn streak) in creating and delivering highly effective local energy solutions. The research sought to explore how the ambitions of these people could be more easily realised, and how others could be encouraged to follow. 

My view of the research findings is that there is enough funding to help deliver these schemes but it is currently too bureaucratic to get to and is held in the hands of the wrong organisations.

Liberating the money would unleash a powerful force for change.  It is also clear that the Ashden Awards has an increasingly important role to play in ensuring that people delivering these schemes receive high quality support and don’t end up reinventing square wheels.

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Trewin has been blogging for Global Action Plan for the past few years. If you enjoyed this week's blog you can find more here.

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