As rainy weather batters the UK, we observe the top themes and trends in efficiency as the seasons transition
Political chaos reigns
As of writing, total uncertainty continues regarding Brexit and the likelihood of Deal, No Deal or the future of Boris Johnson.
At present, Parliament appears to have made a No Deal illegal. Yet whisperings are that the Prime Minister may seek to use Parliamentary mechanisms to find a way past the law.
We will track day to day events, but the sense is that proceedings in Westminster are becoming ever more distasteful. Both the country and low carbon businesses are craving a resolution and a return to politics as normal.
IPCC report damning
The IPCC’s special report on the ocean and cryosphere contains worrying news on the pace of human-driven climate change.
The report says that, among other trends, cyclones, marine heatwaves and other extremes are becoming more severe and will exceed the limits of adaptation, causing “unavoidable loss and damage”.
“These are the real-world consequences of failing to adopt low carbon approaches swiftly enough,” comments Kevin Cox, our managing director here at Energys Group.
“The science is plain, we require energy efficiency and a shake up of business-as-normal to stand any hope of managing our changing climate.”
According to the paper, the rate of climate driven sea level rise is accelerating and is “unprecedented” over the past century. Worst-case projections are higher than thought and a 2m rise by 2100 “cannot be ruled out”.
Public sector ‘missing out on £5.6bn in energy efficiency’
An astonishing report from Centrica this month argues that more than £375m in cost savings can be made each year if the public sector upgrades its infrastructure to more green technology.
Healthcare, universities and defence represent approximately 55% of public sector energy use. The report found that if half the organisations in these areas updated their energy infrastructure, they would save 660,000 tonnes of carbon annually.
“This is evidence that much more effort is required in the public domain,” commented Kevin Cox. “As experts in public sector energy efficiency, Energys stands ready to help deliver the much needed transition to a low carbon, efficient public sector.”
Greta confounds climate change deniers
Greta Thunberg continues to astonish global leaders with her potent appeals on climate change. At the 2019 annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, the 16-year-old climate activist took the mantle of global leadership usually reserved for the US president, writes The Guardian.
Speaking to the assembled world leaders, Thunberg outlined the stakes of inaction on the climate crisis and denounced the world’s focus on “money and fairytales of eternal economic growth”.
At Energys, we believe in sustainable economic growth, achieved through low carbon technologies which effectively decouple emissions from development.
And finally…
Incredibly, Environment Journal writes that UK government support for fossil fuel energy projects has increased eleven times over the past twelve months, a UK Export Finance (UKEF) annual report has revealed.
The government responded: ‘To end UKEF’s support for fossil fuel projects by the end of 2021 would not achieve an effective transition for UK workers into the low carbon economy and would be too rapid to support the transition that the UK’s oil and gas industry is beginning to make towards lower carbon and renewable energy sources.’
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