Counter the energy crisis and save hundreds on bills, in five zero cost steps

The price of energy has risen by 54% from April (2), and has nearly doubled since the beginning of last year.  Ofgem predicts this will increase average bills by £693.  This blog aims to help you save money and cut carbon during this energy crisis.  We give you tips that together will save 20% on your energy bills and will cut carbon by over a tonne to your house. 

1. Turn down the temperature on your condensing boiler from 80°C to 70°C

This change doesn’t result in any loss of comfort, but improves the efficiency of your boiler and heating system.  You can save 6-8% on their gas usage by turning down the flow temperature on your condensing combi boiler from 80°C to 70°C.

This £80 a year saving is achieved from the boiler operating at its most efficient.  The flow temperature is reduced meaning radiators are at 70°C, not 80°C. So it takes a little longer to heat up the house, but you don’t have to compromise on how warm the house is to get the efficiency. 

If you’re going to do this then you need to check you actually have a condensing boiler.  If you do then simply turn down the heat on the boiler.

2. Turn off heating in unused rooms and close the door

Turning off radiators in a particular room results in water not losing heat as it passes onto the next room, improving the efficiency of the heating system, and placing less demand on the boiler.  This will result in the house warming more quickly and you’ll use less gas.

According to how big the room is in comparison to the rest of the house will equate to the savings.  In a three bed house, turning off the heating and shutting the door in an unused bedroom will save you around 10%, or £100 per annum, on your gas bill. 

3. Have fewer baths and shorter showers

The use of hot water accounts for about a quarter of the overall heat demand in the house.  According to the energy saving trust an average person uses around 140 litres of water per day.  The majority of that is used for cleaning.

Limiting showers to four minutes is a common means to save water, but when energy bills are so high it’s also a great way to save money.  Choosing a shower over a bath may also during this more prudent time be a great way to save money.

If you do this right you can save a third on the heat demand from hot water in the house, saving a massive 8%, or £80 per annum, on heating bills.

4. Turn down the thermostat and reduce length of heating

Just turning down the thermostat by one degree can cut gas bills by 6%.  If you manage to also control the length of time the house is heated you can save even more. 

Most of us have the house a little warmer than is necessary.  Now’s the time to get to bed a little earlier and stay in a little later (if possible).  Moving from 21°C to 19°C will save you £120 a year.

5. Use appliances more efficiently

Using shorter cycles on the washing machine, turning on dishwashers when they’re actually full and boiling just the amount of water you need in the kettle to make a cup of tea makes a difference.  With electricity bills costing a quarter more, changing how you use appliances will make a difference. 

You can save 10% on electricity bills if you do all the above and turn appliances off at the switch at the end of the day.  This will save £110 a year.

If you like this and want more information

You may want to look at my calculations.  See the google sheet here where I put them together.

If you are keen to learn about other energy efficiency measures then look at the posts on our community under #energy-efficiency.  If you like that then join Better Century and be continually updated with other great things you can do to improve use and sharing of resources.

Useful links:

  1. Heating & Hotwater Industry Council Report: https://www.hhic.org.uk/uploads/6165409B9D4C9.pdf 
  2. Explanation of price cap changes (Ofgem): https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you 
  3. More information on turning down boiler on the heating hub; https://www.theheatinghub.co.uk/articles/turn-down-the-boiler-flow-temperature 
  4. More advice on water saving from Energy Saving Trust: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/top-seven-water-saving-products-to-help-you-cut-water-use/#:~:text=Four%2Dminute%20shower%20timer,you%2030%20litres%20a%20day

The Governments ‘new’ Energy Efficiency Scheme – Who’s Eligible and What Does it Cover?

The Energy Secretary Grant Shapps announced new grants for energy efficiency measures to be installed in homes in late November 2022.  The ECO4 scheme is to become the ECO+ scheme from April 2023.

Although this is widely reported as not providing any additional funding, it widens to scope to cover more households.  

From April 2023 any household in council tax band A-D in England, with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of D and below, will be eligible for funding of up to £15,000, although the average is expected to be £1,500.

This article gives you a summary of how it works and how you could use this to improve your home with most information drawn from the current consultation.  Do note that the current scheme may change – we will update this article when that happens.

Eligibility

Anyone in an average size house in an inexpensive area will be eligible for the scheme.

ECO+ will continue to support low income households (income less than £31,000) in less energy inefficient properties (EPC D or less).  The eligibility is usually established if a member of the household receives benefits (see below), and there is a preference to improve homes with E-G EPCs.  This scheme will continue to provide a greater amount of funding, covering more expensive retrofit works, up to the full cost.

The ECO+ will include a larger group, covering homes in Council Tax bands A-D in England, A-E in Scotland and A-C in Wales, with an EPC of D and below.  75% of costs will be covered under this scheme obligating home owners to pay for some of the installation measures.

Landlords will also be eligible to apply for the scheme, using similar criteria as ablow for eligibility.  Under ECO+ they will need to pay for less expensive energy efficiency measures such as cavity wall and loft insulation themselves, but will receive subsidy for other measures.

To see what council tax band you are search here using your postcode.

To see what energy performance certificate you have search here using your postcode.

Benefits that support claim for ‘low income households’: Child Benefit*, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – Income Based, Housing Benefit – new eligible benefit, Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) – Income Based, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, Pension Credit Savings Credit – new eligible benefit, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit

Measures you can get funding for

The scheme uses a ‘fabric first’ approachm, focusing on improving the energy retention of the building through insulation.  The scheme (for both low income and the general group) will cover: 

  • Cavity wall insulation
  • Solid wall insulation (both external and internal)
  • Loft insulation
  • Pitched roof insulation
  • Flat roof insulation
  • Under floor insulation
  • Solid floor insulation
  • Park home insulation
  • Room-in-roof insulation 

In addition to this heating controls (e.g. such as thermostatic radiator valves) will also receive subsidy if these are installed after other measures have been installed (within 3 months).

How much can I claim?

The scheme is not transparent about this as measures are acknowledged to have variable costs according to the construction of a building, and it will be down to the energy supplier to accept the cost of the measures to be installed.  If you are within the low income bracket receiving benefits, then up to 100% of the cost will be covered, if you are from the general group, then 75% of the cost will be covered.

This means that in installing a full package of installation measures costing circa £18,000, a low income household would have all measures paid for, and a household within low council tax band would have £13,500 of the measures subsidized.  Whilst this would likely save 50% on energy bills in upgrading from a E to a B energy efficiency, of a value of circa £1,500 a year.

The scheme outlines a certain cost per measure which are variable against different size properties.  To give an indication of this costs are mentioned in the consultation document, which we summarize below.

MeasureUpper expenditurePrice/unit of measure
Cavity wall insulation£1,390£6/m2
Loft insulation£1,300£9.5/m2
Sold wall insulation£15,000£140/m2
Room thermostat£100n/a
Boiler programmer£80n/a
Thermostatic radiator valves£220£30 per room

Getting Funding

The scheme is convoluted in its mechanism of reclaiming funding.  The funding is claimed back through energy suppliers, by the installers of the measures.  These get approved for the scheme and then the installers pass one invoice to the energy suppliers and one to the householder.  

In short you approach the installers and then ask them to support you in claiming back the funding.

Making decisions about what you need

The easiest way to make a decision about what you need is to look at your energy performance certificate (search online here), and then follow its recommendations.

If you want to understand payback of measures or want to get other people’s experiences then ask our expert community.

How to reduce your food carbon footprint

Simple changes in what you eat can make a world of difference to you and the planet’s health. This short blog gives you all you need to know to make decisions about the food you eat so to make your stomach happy and your mind at peace.

How to reduce environmental impact from IT equipment

Digital technologies emit 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions(1).  Three-quarters of those emissions come from the extraction of tonnes of minerals and metals, and the manufacture of equipment(2)(3). We must do more to increase the life of the technology we use.  This article outlines how to reduce environmental impact from IT equipment.

240kg of fossil fuels, 22kg of chemicals and 1,500 kg of water are used to manufacture an average desktop computer and a monitor(2).  110kg of carbon is released in the manufacture of a laptop (2), with 48kg of carbon from the manufacture of a mobile phone (3).   The average lifetime of digital technology is around 3 years (3)(4).

To increase the lifetime of IT equipment there are strategies we recommend employing.

1. Purchase quality, long-lasting equipment from companies with a strong environmental record

The first step in getting long-lasting equipment is to buy it with a high specification, ensure that it is versatile and the technology is usable within the digital environment you work within.  Choosing an environmentally considerate supplier is not particularly vexing as leading companies in the tech space are doing a lot to be environmentally friendly.

When looking for companies with a good record of recycling materials, using renewable energy in manufacture, and in sourcing ethical materials for manufacture, using Just Capital rankings of US companies or other sites such as Worlds Most Ethical Companies can really help.  We provide a quick synopsis of leading companies from Just Capital across sustainable products (which tests reliability, safety and durability), climate change (for carbon impacts and resource efficiency (how much of product is taken from non virgin sustainable sources):

BrandSustainable ProductsClimate ChangeResource Efficiency
Microsoft1st3rd5th
Dell10th5th1st
Apple1st1st7th
Intel1st10th1st
Source: Just Capital rankings of US companies

2. Reduce the amount of IT equipment each person uses

A few simple things that can be done to reduce the amount of IT equipment each person uses is to:

  1. Get versatile laptops that restrict the need for a desktop or tablet
  2. Start having employee owned IT equipment

Versatile laptops with long-lasting batteries and detachable touch screens that may attach to a desktop setup restrict the need for both a desktop or a tablet.  It also means that people can use these in meetings to read documents, instead of having printouts.  These types of computers are usually high-end and longer-lasting.  If bought with the right protective equipment they will be less prone to damage and will last a long life, often allowing for new keyboards or other equipment to replace existing ones.

A new concept we wish to introduce is the idea of employee-owned technology so that employees don’t have to own two of everything.  This idea is simple.  You encourage people to use their own technology when they come to work, or you buy them technology which they can use at home.  The employee owns the technology but gets support from the company to manage it.  This would then allow for everyone to have one phone, and one computer, which they take everywhere with them.  Read more here.

3. Ensure IT equipment gets a second life

There are a few ways of making this happen.  Firstly, use a system at work whereby employees can purchase equipment that is no longer used by the company, or involve this in a scheme of employee-owned technology.  Secondly, use companies that can help restore IT equipment or can help your organization rethink how it uses IT.

Better Century can help set up systems such as employee-owned technology but if you want to go really deep you may want to employ the services of a company such as RDC Recycling.  They are the first company to provide circular services for IT systems.  They effectively help you with purchasing and regeneration of IT equipment and link you with other companies that you can trade with.

You can also use a company like Globechain, which trades office and IT equipment between companies or Warp-It which provide a loan service of goods and services. There are plenty of other companies that will safely recycle IT equipment at the end of life.  These companies will ensure the equipment returns to the manufacturer for recycling into another product. 

Opinions and other help

If you have opinions of this article or need other help please join our community where we can answer more of your questions.  If you need consultancy support please contact Tom through tom@bettercentury.org.

References
(1)  The Shift Project. https://theshiftproject.org/en/article/unsustainable-use-online-video/ 
(2) Life Cycle Assessment of a Smart Phone https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/ict4s-16/25860375  
(3) Life Cycle Assessment of a Laptop Computer and its Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268414508_Life_Cycle_Assessment_of_a_Laptop_Computer_and_its_Contribution_to_Greenhouse_Gas_Emissions 
(4) Life Cycle Assessment of Dell Latitude 7300 https://corporate.delltechnologies.com/content/dam/digitalassets/active/en/unauth/data-sheets/products/laptops/lca-latitude_7300_25th_anniv_notebook.pdf 
(5)  Statista Average lifespan (replacement cycle length) of smartphones in the United States from 2014 to 2025 – https://www.statista.com/statistics/619788/average-smartphone-life/

How to live a sustainable, low carbon, low impact lifestyle

If you’re interested in making choices to live a sustainable, low carbon, low impact lifestyle you’ve come to the right place. This blog helps you make the right choices in three steps; stop bargaining, learn the solutions, and don’t look back.

Before we start you need to remember that living sustainably is counter-culture.  Westerners see themselves as consumers, make this their mark of pride and success, and constantly want more stuff.  Living low impact means using what resources are available wisely, with consideration and where possible to reuse.

In taking this journey you will be a pioneer and although it will be hard convincing your friends and family to make the same decisions, they will eventually, and you will have the solutions.  So read on if you dare to lead.

Step 1: Stop bargaining

You hear it everywhere when someone expresses concern about climate change – ‘what about China – they’re not doing enough’, ‘the big corporates need to take the lead’, ‘the government needs to provide more incentive for change’, ‘it has to be easier – products need to be sustainable – that’s the answer’.

This is what I call bargaining.  It’s a way for people to avoid making a difficult decision.  It’s a natural reaction to a traumatic event.  And let’s be realistic, the climate and ecological breakdown is traumatic – it affects everything.  The natural reaction is to feel helpless and to avoid experiencing anxiety or depression by displacing responsibility to others.

Accepting that we must do something is the first step, the next is to not bargain.  Decide now to live as sustainably as affordable.  Make a plan to decarbonise your lifestyle.  Many decisions simply need to be factored into that plan.  We can’t all afford an electric car or a house with a heat pump, but we could all make a plan to transition by 2030.  50% of our impact is from behaviour, so there are plenty of ways to live sustainably now.

Step 2: Learn the solutions

There are so many ways to learn how to live sustainably.  We at Better Century provide an online community where people can learn from each other, we write blogs and we provide a directory of products and services.  There are loads of sites just like ours that can help.

A great starting point is to consider your own environmental impact.  This will help you understand what your footprint is.  At Better Century we have developed the first environmental footprint calculator that tells you your carbon, land, water and waste impact. 

Once you understand your footprint you can think about what causes that impact.  You’ll be surprised about how contrived low impact decisions are, but is actually quite simple.  Here are some principles for you to consider:

  1. Use less: When traveling, walk or cycle, or use shared public transport, as less material is required to create and power these transport forms.  For food, use less processed and animal products, as these require more inputs.  In life, buy well picked quality products that last.
  2. Waste little: Use the stuff you have – see out it’s lifetime – you don’t always need new stuff to be happy.  When you need to throw things away, think about reuse and where they can be remanufactured.  
  3. Enjoy what’s in front of you: The grass is alway greener on the other side right… wrong… What we have in front of us can give us much joy as something complicated.  Enjoy nature, read books, and engage with the people around you.

There’s so much to explore and enjoy and a whole new you to explore.  Enjoy learning how to live sustainably and do it your way!

Step 3: Don’t look back

Living a low impact lifestyle results in us opening a new door for our life.  It’s difficult to close the old door of ourselves especially as when you learn more you discover what you were doing was very impactful.  Most of us find it difficult to forgive the old self but that is exactly what must be done.  

Once you have forgiven yourself you can allow yourself to close the door on your old habits and can begin to live a life you can be proud of.  It’s hard as there’s still friends wanting you to be your old self, but you have chosen your new path and now it’s your job to encourage them to do the same.

Simple things like picking places that do good vegetarian food as meeting places or encouraging holidays to be had locally, and to do activities that don’t demand much stuff, are some of the ways to achieve your new life.  Where possible don’t preach about what we all must live sustainably but sing the praises of your choices, from the great recipes you’ve discovered through to the joys of taking public transport to work.

These things aren’t an impediment to living a joyful life, they are the route to a fulfilling and amazing existence which you can feel contributes to making the world more equitable and better for our children.  There is honor in the choices you make, so don’t look back and think about what you could have had, enjoy what you have in living a low impact lifestyle.

Want pandemics like Covid to stop? Make more space for nature.

The reason we’re not allowed to move or mingle is that we’re rubbing up too close to nature’s diseases.  To stop pandemics like this from happening in the future, we must improve agricultural practices, stop deforestation and make more space for nature.

It sounds simple, but scientists have been warning the WHO and UN for decades the impact environmental degradation could have on human health through pandemics exactly like Covid.  An article published at the beginning of the pandemic from leading scientists for Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) said:

“Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases.” 

“There is a single species that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic – us. As with the climate and biodiversity crises, recent pandemics are a direct consequence of human activity.” 

It is an unfortunate truth to be hearing.  But is it surprising?

This same report outlines that 70% of diseases have originated from domestic and wild animals, and that some 1.2 million diseases are yet to be discovered by humans.  A bat is the cause of Covid, but just imagine all the other species we’re rubbing up against as nature has fewer and fewer places to live.

75% of freshwater supplies are used in agricultural practices, a third of land is now used for agriculture.  It is estimated that 10,000 acres of Amazon rainforest is cut down every day.  

Our agricultural practices are dependent upon mechanically managed large fields of monoculture crops covered in man-made nutrients with pesticides to stop any other species from being there.  Our farm animals are mostly unhardy stock, brought mostly inside, and are riddled with antibiotics as they are too sensitive to disease. And if we continue to pollute at the scale we are climate change threatens to make around a 1/3 of the world unhabitable to most species by 2100.

Simply put we are making ourselves exponentially vulnerable and it’s now becoming pretty clear there isn’t a solid economic argument for it. The good news is sustainable agricultural practices can be carbon neutral, nature positive, and can use vastly less land if we decrease our dependence upon meat and moved to vertical farming practices.  And if we halved carbon emissions by 2030 we could avoid runaway climate change.

If you’re looking for something to blame for Covid, blame our attitude to the environment, and do something about it.  What we decide to prioritize politically, how we shop, and even the conversations we have to make a difference.

If you want to learn what you can do to make a Better Century, or wish to get articles just like this on a regular basis, join our online community and learn to make decisions that can help regenerate the world.

This article was written by Tom Beckett, Founder of Better Century, sustainability consultant, entrepreneur, and blog writter. Follow him on Twitter.

We must stop bargaining with climate change action, and actually act

How many times have you heard these points when talking about climate change?  ‘The government needs to take the lead’, ‘if only we had an international agreement’, ‘What are China doing’, ‘ it’s more expensive’, ‘Technology will sort it out’. 

I’ve heard them over and over again and I’ve even been that person. I’ve wanted to think that climate change isn’t my responsibility. ‘If only I could get others to take action then I’d properly take action myself.’ That was my one.

This is bargaining with climate change – it’s just the same when we’re dealing with trauma. What we’re trying to avoid is helplessness. The evidence points to this being the main cause of inaction on climate change.  And understandably – people actively avoid feelings of despair. This is why climate change has been a taboo subject for so many years.

By externalising the issue we are bargaining for our own responsibility.  That is being extended through companies, insurers, investment companies corporations, local government and even national government. They are bargaining because the action needed is likely to be painful. And we’re doing the same at an individual level.

And that totally makes sense. This is a global issue so how can it be our responsibility?

The fact of the matter is all of us need to take action to cut the unnecessary carbon we’re producing. If we bargain by establishing increasingly complex criteria for our engagement, climate change will be beyond our control in 10-20 years’ time.

Have you ever wondered why there is a major difference between young and old on the issue? It isn’t because young people are ideologists. It’s because middle-aged and older (like me) feel we have to compromise, and therefore we bargain.

Younger people have no other reality, they know there is nothing to bargain with. They just want to see action. It could be argued that when they get older they bargain with for example with a more expensive bill to replace their heating system. But I think for them, it will simply be a morally indefensible trade off, like choosing to fly or not.

It is the perfect recipe for inaction to push a problem onto another party. We’re in that cycle again with the summit on climate change COP. Everyone remains on the edge of their seats to find out if we’ll form an international agreement. Will it matter? Does it mean that we’ll halve global emissions by 2030 to overt runaway climate change? 

My answer may surprise – ‘No – it won’t’. We can’t wait for the machinery of government, business and finance in this timescale, we must take this responsibility into our own hearts and decarbonise our lives.

And let’s be honest. A global agreement won’t make the slightest difference to whether you cut meat consumption, choose active, public or electric transport or install renewable systems in your house. What will make the difference is if we all stopped bargaining about when or if, and simply acted.

Most of us feel helpless when we decide to engage. Knowing a little about climate change it’s terrifying.  You simply don’t want to know more. This is part of bargaining. Most of us dive into the global issue and feel bewildered, lost, perplexed, paralysed by the reality of it. We react by closing down our research, deciding it’s someone else’s problem.

I’ve got to tell you when you do engage, when you decide to make positive changes, the reality is you don’t feel powerless. It’s quite the opposite.

For me I have felt empowered with new knowledge, thinking and understanding of the issue.  I am lucky enough to now see the solutions in my own home, community, food and transport. I have a plan to decarbonise my heating and vehicle. I have solar panels and mostly cycle. I get excited about the technology which can transform my life to be low carbon, and I like it better this way.  I want to tell others.

I’m doing what I can. My life is no longer part of the problem, I am (or people like me) are the solution. That goes a very long way to tackling helplessness. Even I feel that internationally, nationally or locally there is not enough action. But now instead of despair I feel helpful – people simply need to catch up, and I can assist them.

And it does make it a lot easier that we can talk about climate change openly. People genuinely want to learn more – they don’t see it as green nonesense anymore. People don’t walk away or shut down the conversation they actually engage. That is refreshing but people are still bargaining.

I might be a fool for taking action when it’s not the most economic decision at the time,  but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that I’m a citizen of the world and that I’m responding to the global problem in the most practical way I know how – in my own life.

I encourage you to stop bargaining. You can move beyond despair quickly, and make some changes. Don’t look over your shoulder but look forward – find more things you can do. Before long you will be talking about life with pride and encouraging others to do the same. You will think tackling climate change is feasible as you will know what the solutions are and like me you will be empowered. 

Tom Beckett is the founder of Better Century and has written numerous other articles about sustainability – see his profile on Better Century and consider joining to get help on create a low carbon, low impact trajectory in your own life. 

A blueprint of what citizens need to do in the next ten years to help prevent a 2°C rise in global temperatures

Ever wondered how much you need to cut your carbon emissions so you can do your bit to prevent further catastrophic impacts of climate change? Here we provide you with an answer. Learn what the average UK carbon footprint is and what you can do about it. Our short infographic tells you where we are and what we need to do to tackle climate change on an individual level, as well as giving you some useful tips.

The average UK Carbon Footprint stated above was determined through nationally reported emissions and estimated imported carbon emissions. Average Global Citizen emissions were set using the UN Carbon Footprint Gap analysis. Proportions of emissions from different areas were determined using a Carbon Trust report that calculating bottom up emissions from numerous participants.

Why do carbon emissions matter?

At some point between 2025 and 2040 the average global temperature will exceed 1.5 degrees celsius, and could be a lot higher.  A 2-degree rise is likely to cause run-away climate change.  Within the next 10 to 30 years if we carry on as we are severe weather events will cause major food shortages and will disrupt entire economies.  This is called climate breakdown.

Climate change is caused by man-made carbon emissions.  We have disrupted the carbon cycle by burning millions of years old carbon from coal, oil, and gas, and by farming intensively.  This causes the release of carbon-based gases which sit in the atmosphere.   They absorb energy from the sun and act like a thermal blanket around the earth.  

As more carbon based gases are released, the concentration increases, thickening the blanket and storing energy.  This energy results in an increase in temperature and severe weather events.  

Can I really make a difference?

There are 7.67 billion people.  Each one of us has a responsibility to stop climate breakdown.  Our choices make a difference.  Over 70% of all carbon emissions occur directly because of our choices.

Trying to influence people to tackle climate change? – Stop talking about consequences, give positive solutions

If you, like me, have been trying to get people to take action on climate change at home, in the workplace or through communications sent out to customers or members, then this is for you.  I summarise sociological studies that have analysed concern for climate change as well as barriers of engagement.  I conclude by providing some of the best ways to communicate climate action.  

It is very apparent why we need to take action on climate change as well as biodiversity loss.  We have witnessed and taken notice of the severe weather events, climatic anomalies, the numerous protests that raise awareness of future catastrophic impacts, as well as governments actively pursuing agreements that will limit temperature rise.  We know it’s serious.  

Although this is the case, people aren’t making change at scale.  Even organisations are dawdling in delivering real net zero plans.  And although governments are making commitments, evidence shows they are falling behind these short lived public statements.

This is after 30 years of communications efforts have been made to tackle climate change.  So what’s missing?  Why are people turning off to the idea of taking action?  

It turns out that people work hard to avoid acknowledging disturbing information.  They don’t want to feel emotions of fear, guilt, or helplessness.  Where possible, people simply want to follow cultural norms and maintain positive conceptions of individual and national identity.  When climate change is mentioned there is an in-built instinct to protect oneself, to move the subject on, or to simply walk away. 

Some of the other trends are also useful in noting.  Concern for climate change is higher in poorer countries even when they have been exposed to less information.  In wealthier countries, it appears that people turn off their concern for climate change in part to protect their cultural norms.  Outrageously people with a higher level of knowledge about climate change, tend to show less concern.  All of this is due to the sense of helplessness and frustration.  

“Informing the public of the problems can increase frustration and apathy rather than build support. Our research suggests that what the public is most skeptical about is not the existence of problems but our ability to solve them. What will make the public invest energy in these issues is not the conviction that the problems are real, but that we can do something about them.” (Immerwah, J. 2009)

So what gives?  The more we inform people the more they switch off?

Climate denial is not just stimulated by creating doubt about climate change – a widespread phenomenon in the U.S. particularly in the 90s and 00s.  Societies develop and reinforce a whole repertoire of techniques for ignoring disturbing problems.  They do this to maintain coherent meaning systems, desirable emotional states, to maintain belief that they can succeed, and in order to follow norms of attention, emotion and conversation.  In other words we pull the wool over our eyes so we can maintain our collective illusion that everything is fine, so we can all ‘live the dream’. 

Powerlessness and guilt were also found as being major means of avoiding taking action.  Studies found a consistent expression that this is not an individual’s problem, or that carrying the guilt is simply too much to bear.  What is tied to this is the impact taking action has on individual and national identity.  A respondent of one of the studies sums this up well:

“We shouldn’t consume so many resources, drive so much, or travel so much by air. We know that it is bad because it increases CO2 levels. And creates a worse situation. But at the same time of course we want to go on vacation, we want to go to the South, we want to, well, live a normal life for today. So many times I have a guilty conscience because I know that I should do something, or do it less. But at the same time there is the social pressure. And I want for my children and for my wife to be able to experience the same positive things that are normal in their community of friends and in this society.” (Interview with Eric, Norgaard, 2009)

If climate change switches people off, how do we enable change?

What is consistently found through studies is that people do care about climate change, and want to do the right thing.  This is counter to the belief that people don’t care and are selfish.  So as a starting point it is a consistent recommendation to not assume people are selfish in communication, which frames the tone of voice being used.

However, the interplay with the systems of denial that protect the self from guilt, powerlessness, and alienation from societal norms, needs careful consideration.  

To avoid denial, messages need to be non-threatening and frame a positive view of self.  And to avoid negative emotions realistic opportunities need presenting that allow people to participate in positive action.  Where possible these need to counter alienation, by allowing people to participate in community collective action with a positive framing.  

What is also important is to convey the message that a difference can be made now through personal action, and where possible to highlight the immediate economic benefits of a decision.  An atmosphere needs to be created for people to experience positive emotions and positive views of the self, through real opportunities for change.

To counter-cultural norms community movements need to be started which represent a view of parts of society.  An example of this is Fridays for Future, started by Greta Thurnburg, or flight shaming, a phenomenon in Sweden.  Both of these movements have galvanised a certain spectrum of society to reconsider what should be the cultural norm, whilst also shifting national perspective.

To achieve pan societal change, movements need to occur through all parts of society where people associate their identity; workplaces, gyms, churches, political parties, clubs, and societies.  Movements needn’t be big, they can simply be a regular conversation or communication that support collective action.   This could occur through groups talking about what they could do, emails that simply outline what can be done to live more sustainably, and through public declaration of the club/society to take action on climate change. All delivered within a positive framing.

Great ideas, but how do I put them in action?

If you are trying to encourage your family or friends, the best way is not to expose them to your feelings of guilt or powerlessness or encourage that within them.  One needs to be a source of helpful, positive information on the subject, which can be practically put in action.  That could be health benefits of a new diet, positive gains from the use of low carbon technology, or benefits of using a bike.  There should be some challenge on carbon-causing choices, like flying, but these need to be framed as being counter-cultural.

If you’re in a workplace and you are trying to achieve change, then forming a group is a great start.  Finding small things that can be done to improve the office, like plants, recycling, or purchase of recycled paper, as well as forums to exchange means of living sustainably, bring a sense of community around the issue.  Once this baseline enthusiasm is initiated, company-wide declarations may be made.  The important thing is to build a positive community around change.

If your organisation is trying to get your customer base or membership to take action, it would be a great thing to have a well-respected member of that community to outline what they had done, and how it had made a difference to them.  To go further community-wide actions may be called for whereby aa community-wide carbon reduction targets are achieved.

It’s important to remember that the most recent survey conducted by the government found 80% of people were fairly concerned (45%) or very concerned (35%) about climate change.  You are pushing at an open door so why not use this information to galvanise change!

Got your own views on the subject or need more help?

If you have ways to build upon this thinking or need help in engaging your friends, family, or club/society, we have a community at Better Century which is bringing together useful information for people, with a positive framing. You can get input or get help from our digital community.  Simply sign up. 

If you’re trying to get members of your organisation to make a change this can be more challenging.  You may want to join a new group on our community site to get support from people like you – click here to sign up.

If you’re working to make a declaration to be a carbon-neutral or net-zero organisation, you are likely to need some consultancy support in assessing baseline carbon emissions and setting trajectories to net zero.  Our consultancy can help you with this – click here for more information.

If you are trying to galvanise action on climate change through your customer base or membership, we can help by writing tailored communications with tips on personal action with a positive framing.  We can also provide digital tools that help your community take collective action with a joint goal.  If you’re interested in this then set up a call with me to discuss how we could help.

Thanks and further research

I want to give a special thanks to Kari Marie Norgaard, who wrote the paper Cognitive and Behavioral Challenges in Responding to Climate Change, Background Paper to the 2010 World Development Report, to which much of the information shared here may be attributed. This paper may be found online if you want to learn more.

Go to the next page to learn more about other references used.

Pages: 1 2

Best Ethical Business Bank Accounts

Starting or running a business and want to give a good impression to customers and your staff? Picking the right business bank account is a great way to start. Read on to learn more.

Why does Ethical Business Banking Matter?

Banks collateralize debt and use money in your account to make investments. Many banks invest in fossil fuels, arms and companies with unethical practices, some solely invest in ethical businesses and renewable energy.

By extension, your bank reflects your business ethos, as your money will be used for varying purposes according to who you bank with. Some may even consider banking within Scope 3 carbon emissions, as money invested does have a carbon factor, especially if invested in fossil fuels.

Your bank appears on your invoices and maybe tracked through your payments. Increasingly the public is becoming aware of banks with poor environmental and ethical investment practices, and although this may not stop someone from doing business with you, it may become a subconcious consideration.

Checking a business bank account is ethical

If you’re running a business you’ve probably already got an account, if you’re looking then these tips will help you make a good decision from the get-go.

Here are some markers you may want to consider in your search:

  1. Investments in the extraction or burning of fossil fuel (e.g. coal mining/power, arctic drilling, tar sands, fracking)
  2. Investments in arms or military activities.
  3. Have they made a declaration of a climate (and ecological) emergency? If so – what actions are they taking?

To save you time on the fossil fuel question there is a brilliant report produced from Bank Track which details level of investment from banks in 2019 into fossil fuels. Barclays, HSBC, BNP Paribas, Santander, RBS as well as many others have billiosn invested in fossil fuels.

You will probably want to ask your bank directly about arms and military activities. Declarations are usually a very public thing so either this will be searchable online or it will be a very simple question for an employee to answer.

The Best Ethical Business Accounts

1. Triodos Bank Business Account

Triodos started in 1980 and only uses money in ways that benefit people and the environment. They do not invest in fossil fuels or arms or military activity, and have recognised the climate emergency, with CEO Bevis Watts signing a letter in support of Extinction Rebellion last year.

The great thing about the bank account at Triodos is there is no standing charge, only charges for transfers and payments in/out of the account. Limitations include only online banking services, and very few high street locations. Cash payments can be made through a post office though and if you need a card for your business a credit card from a seperate provider can be used and put on automated payment.

2. Co-operative Bank

The Co-operative Bank bank has had a recently chequered history, but it has always remained committed to ethical practices. Although not quite a niche in how it limits it’s investments, it does not invest in fossil fuels or arms/military. Although there is not public record of the bank declaring a climate emergency it’s operation is carbon neutral and it has publicly supported the school strike.

For this account you get cards and good online banking and there are no charges for the first 30 months for small businesses, including for transfers/withdrawals. Payments can also be made through post offices, as well as the number of high street banks available.

3. Starling Bank

A relatively new player, which is quickly growing. It has been confirmed through curiouslyconcious that this bank does not invest in fossil fuels, arms or military activities. As a paperless, branchless bank hosted in the cloud their activities are pretty carbon neutral.

There are some great services with Starling including automated annual reports for HMRC and VAT returns, as well integration with Quickbooks. Their fees are pretty reasonable with no monthly charge for a basic account but charges for withdrawals/transfers. This is a great option for a small digitally aware business!

How to Switch Bank Account

Switching bank account is really straightforward and can happen in just 7 days. Simply start an account that then transfer funds.

Pin It on Pinterest