The issue of climate change has begun to take center stage in the British conscience, with media reporting on the devastating impact of climate change and social media rife with opinion as to how society can be more environmentally friendly.
Chris Packham
However, it appears that a lack of understanding of the steps people could take to prevent climate change, from an energy perspective, could be hindering Britain’s efforts to meet the 2050 carbon target. Perhaps it’s no surprise that new research conducted by Smart Energy GB, The University of Salford and the Energy Saving Trust revealed that only 30% of the British public ranked being energy efficient as having the biggest impact on the environment.
There is a willingness from the British public to do more, 62% believe it’s their responsibility to tackle climate change and are already playing a part by recycling or reusing products (75%). However, only 3% of the last two years 25,000 (24,429) climate change stories in national news sources have had any mention of energy efficiency.
As such, Smart Energy GB, the University of Salford and the Energy Saving Trust is calling on politicians, the media and the public to talk about energy efficiency to ensure the #MissingPiece is not overlooked.
If every household took action on energy efficiency now, we could achieve 11 per cent of the UK’s 2050 carbon target. Simple changes that could have huge impact on reducing our emissions include getting a smart meter installed.
The more smart meters there are, means less overall energy waste, as there is a better assessment of the nation’s energy needs. This reduces our carbon footprint and contributes to a better environment.