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CRC LEAGUE TABLE POSITION COULD AFFECT COMPANY REPUTATION


H


igh profile brands could be punished by consumers for poor performance in the


Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) league tables, a new report by E.ON and Imperial College London Business School has found.


But encouragingly for companies working hard to improve energy efficiency, the report found consumers were twice as likely to feel positive towards brands towards the top of the league table compared with those near the bottom and said a high rank could influence their buying habits. The Carbon Reduction Commitment energy efficiency scheme is a mandatory energy-saving and carbon emissions reduction scheme which ranks major UK companies on energy use and their commitment to reduce their effect on the environment. Michael Woodhead, Managing


Director of E.ON’s Sustainable Energy business, said: “What’s clear from this study is that companies can’t be blasé or take for granted that consumers won’t take any notice of how they fare. “A high position on the league table isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, it could also have a very real impact on their business and on their brand. Each year the new league table effectively puts the organisation back to zero and therefore investment and position over time need to be implemented as part of a long term plan. That’s why we help participants with both CRC management and strategy, so that they can maintain a consistent position in the most cost effective way”


Developed following interviews with CRC participating companies, surveys and focus groups with consumers, and using existing academic


research, the report revealed that companies have varying degrees of concerns about the potential impact of the scheme on their reputation. Consumer studies showed that, while a majority of people were currently unaware of the CRC, companies seen to be doing well in improving energy efficiency fared considerably better.


In some cases, larger brands felt able to hide behind the fact that it was a parent company listed in the league table, so they felt consumers would not link the parent company with the high street brand. Lower profile companies, or business-to-business brands, would tend to be highlighted much less frequently as consumers were likely to pick out more familiar names when they looked at the league tables. To download the full results visit: www.eonenergy.com/sustainable


EBRD, IEA join forces to promote energy efficiency T he European Bank for


Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have teamed up to promote energy efficiency by highlighting the crucial role of good governance.


The IEA published the results of its global Energy Efficiency Governance study in the form of a summary handbook and a detailed report. This study, backed by the EBRD Swiss Technical Assistance Cooperation Fund, aims to provide government officials and stakeholders with guidance on how to establish effective structures to promote energy efficiency. In particular, it highlights the importance of developing legal, institutional, funding and coordination mechanisms to support national and sub-national energy efficiency policy implementation. “This study is extremely valuable to supporting the implementation of


38| SUSTAINABLE FM | DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011


good energy efficiency policies around the world,” said Nobuo Tanaka, IEA Executive Director.


“It is a practical ‘instruction manual’ for policy makers and institutions to further accelerate energy efficiency actions in the EBRD countries of operation. It will provide a useful input to policy dialogue and project development,” said Josué Tanaka, the EBRD Corporate Director responsible for the Bank’s Energy Efficiency and Climate Change programme. Energy efficiency projects are a key element within the EBRD’s overall Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI), which aims to reduce energy waste, but also increase energy security and a diversification of the sources of energy, including the use of renewables.


The EBRD believes that by increasing energy efficiency, economies can become more competitive while at the same time


helping mitigate the impact of climate change.


Under the SEI, which was launched in 2006, the EBRD has already invested some 6 billion euros in over 300 energy efficiency projects.


While energy efficiency awareness is increasing, the IEA study notes that improvements in this area can be difficult.


“Successful energy efficiency policy outcomes are more likely if an effective system of EE governance is established,” the study says. The Energy Efficiency Governance study is based on a global review of many elements of energy efficiency governance. These elements include legal frameworks, institutions, funding tools, coordination mechanisms and accountability arrangements, such as evaluation and oversight. www.ebrd.com www.iea.org


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