ENERGY SAVING
Bravo to zero
T
he inefficient use of energy needlessly consumes vast amounts of fossil fuel, devours resources at an alarming rate
and eats into company profits. Arguably the biggest of the issues with unnecessary energy consumption is that it adds directly to the threat of climate change by pumping huge volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere.
This was highlighted in the recent Committee
on Climate Change (CCC) net zero report which recommended that the UK legislate to reach zero GHG emissions by 2050. If this can be achieved and other countries
follow the UK, there is a 50-50 chance of staying below the target limit of a 1.5°C temperature rise by 2100.
This will only happen if we focus on the most
pressing problems. That’s why Smart Energy GB recently launched its Missing Piece campaign which is working with naturalist, TV presenter and author, Chris Packham, and the University
Climate change is a clear and present danger to life as we know it. However, Tim Mitchell argues it is critical that we focus on the most pertinent issues to prevent it – and that naturally includes energy efficiency.
of Salford to raise awareness of energy efficiency as the ‘missing piece’ in the climate change conversation. In particular, it claims that we will continue to lag behind on the national target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 without a greater stress on using less energy. The campaign points out that less than 3% of all media and social media conversations on climate change in the last two years mention energy efficiency. However, it adds that if every household took action on energy efficiency now, we could achieve 11% of the UK’s 2050 carbon reduction target. According to the Energy Saving Trust (EST), the energy we use at home represents over a quarter of total energy use nationwide, so it makes sense to renew our focus on this, because it will make such a massive difference at the national level. But how does energy efficiency affect climate change? The EST explains it like Continued on page 51.
www.acr-news.com January 2020 49
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