Will the Green Movement work with the new Government? - Homes Matter

Following the election of the new, coalition government, I suggest it is now time for the green movement to also become 'as one' on how to work with Government on engaging the general public and industry re improving energy efficiency given for example:

Only 25% of people agree that climate change is both happening and primarily man made (source: Jonathon Porritt, EcoBuild)
71% consumers are still confused as to where to go for advice and help related to improving energy efficiency. (source: Energy Savings Trust)
59% people still don't know insulation saves them money (source: National Insulation Association).
5 out of 6 business managers are still doing nothing about climate change (source: Chartered Management Institute)
less than 200 of the UK's 2 million businesses are members of Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, despite membership being free.
Only one of the LDA's Green 500 companies has established an insulation referral scheme.

However, there are hundreds of organizations within the green movement with differences in advocacy and strategy and many appear to be at odds with the new government by continuing to call for more regulation and legislation, not less. Calls for banning the sale or rent of energy inefficient homes antagonises homeowners and the home selling, buying and renting supply chain instead of appealing to them.

The previous government's energy efficiency strategy clearly did not work despite spending £billions of taxpayers money and I have always maintained that if we are to engage the general public, we need to focus on securing the help of all industry sectors and the election of the new Government reinforces my belief.

We need more carrot than stick. More market led solutions. Less public funding and less regulation and it is therefore heartening to see that the new coalition government has suspended Home Information Packs, ditched landlord and letting regulations and plans to establish a Green Investment Bank and Green Deal scheme, which I applaud loudly.

In light of this, I suggest now is the time for the green movement to also become 'as one' and agree a common strategy on how to work with the new government on engaging the general public and industry. However, this will require compromise, accommodation of vested interests, fresh ideas and new thinking.

To start the ball rolling, I therefore suggest the respective organizations in the green movement from the Association for the Conservation of Energy to the World Wildlife Fund, establish a working group to identify common ground and create a new, common strategy that at it's heart puts consumer interests first and:

· prioritises securing the help of all types of industry through encouraging businesses to establish green strategies / initiatives, partnerships with local councils and successful communication programmes with customers, suppliers and employees.

· embraces the new government's policies by making less call on them for regulation, legislation and public funding and welcomes a review of the green quangos in order to ascertain what activities the private sector could do better.

Is the green movement willing to become 'as one' and embrace the new government?

I hope so as the downside is that unless a way forward can be agreed on how to engage industry and the general public which brings on board as many organizations as possible, the green agenda will go nowhere and the phrase " united we stand, divided we fall" springs to mind.

Page navigation

Thoughts and ideas on how to deliver » Will the Green Movement work with the new Government?

Comments

Leave a Comment

© Homes Matter, February 2010.