There is always lots of noise around the Conference of the Parties, and COP27 is no different. Promises have been made (and broken); campaigners have shouted and businesses have been greenwashing. But behind the headlines and arguments things are shifting. Too slowly – but shifting they are. Growth is now decoupling from emissions. Global and UK GDP (a fundamentally flawed measure but indicative none the less) have both grown over the past 30 years as emissions have fallen. Forward looking companies realise this and are investing in renewable energy production and energy efficiency. Government, Parish Councils, community groups and charities are all beginning to focus on how they can pursue Net Zero.
So, the intention is now there, the argument about human created climate change has been won (at least for the most part). But, as we now get into the detail of how to tackle it, the monumental task we face is becoming clear. Getting to Net Zero is hugely complex and every sector and industry is facing its own specific challenges in meeting this target. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution that can be applied to everything. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Every factory, office and community centre is different after all. Solar PV might be beneficial if you have a south-facing roof, and cavity wall insulation will make a difference if you actually have a cavity to fill! If you’re in manufacturing, buying more energy efficient equipment can make a big difference to your carbon emissions but only you will know which machines will work for your company.
These decisions often fade into insignificance once you start looking at your supply chain. Where do your pens, pencils and coffee come from? Does your shipping company use electric vehicles? What about your energy supplier? There are endless questions that businesses, community groups and Government need to tackle. They are often complex, and businesses often don’t have the expertise they need to answer them. As someone who has run charities and businesses, I know how much work this is, the expense can be huge and often it falls by the wayside as other business critical issues crowd in.
With only eight years left in our carbon budget (if we are to maintain a temperature rise of 1.5°C) we must move quickly, yet we are expecting businesses and households to do the work themselves when Government should be doing the heavy lifting.
- Should businesses be spending their precious time sourcing sustainable suppliers when Government could simply legislate to ensure all products and services must be sustainable?
- Why should those putting in renewable energy generation have to wait for the grid to be upgraded so they can feed in the energy they produce? Why is the government not investing more in the cables and capacity in our grid that would allow new clean energy generation across the UK?
- Why should renters have to put up with high energy bills and carbon emissions when EPC levels could be better enforced?
- Why are new houses still being built without solar power or district heating systems?
- Many new homes are still built to lower energy efficiency standards than is needed simply because the regulation doesn’t exist to push developers to build better.
- Imports come with no environmental standards and companies can outsource their carbon emissions by manufacturing abroad.
Without a level playing field of clear legislation and without investment in our infrastructure, businesses and households are left to fend for themselves, leaving the unscrupulous to benefit from low standards and the burden placed on those who are willing to do the right thing. The thing is, where Government does legislate and invest the solutions can be found:
- The ban on internal combustion engines in cars by 2030 is driving investment in electric vehicles.
- The ban on the installation of gas boilers in the same year is also beginning to push the market towards heat pumps.
- The investment in renewable energy has driven the market in the UK, making renewables the cheapest form of energy generation.
- Investment in research and development is beginning to give the UK an edge in the hydrogen market.
These successes demonstrate what can be done, but right now we’re missing the low hanging fruit. Improving housebuilding standards, investing in grid capacity, driving the retrofit market and investing in research and development won’t just take a closer to Net Zero, but will strengthen our economy, create new jobs and benefit society as a whole. Without this investment, the UK is doomed to miss its climate targets. And for many, those targets mean the difference between life and death.
