Use pandemic lessons ‘to put over climate message’
Successful information campaigns used in the Covid-19 pandemic should now be used to put over the climate change message to the public.
Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox was agreeing with a House of Lords report which said that just as the pandemic was a crisis, so now is the environment.
The peers said that to cut UK emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 and to net zero by 2050, a third of the reductions must come from people changing their behaviour.
Baroness Kate Parminter, chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee, which oversaw the report, said the lockdown provided important lessons in how to communicate scientific information to people by experts using modern media and regular press conferences.
The Baroness agreed that people with different lifestyles will make different choices about what changes to make, but they all still need advice and information.
The report calls the government’s current approach “seriously inadequate” and wants them to support people financially to move to greener diets, transport and homes.
It recommends providing grants so people can switch to electric cars, and to make it much easier to cycle and walk instead of driving.
The House of Lords also want a nationwide home-insulation drive to reduce both the carbon footprint of our homes and high energy bills.
The committee says the government should also consider a frequent-flyer levy to charges regular air passengers more and to expand its Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme that rewards farmers for environmental work.
“I agree with the Baroness,” said Ron, “that we need to be open with the public about how much change is needed in terms of how we travel, how we heat our homes, and what we eat and buy.”
But the Government has said it is fully committed to its legally binding net zero climate goals. However, it does not want to intervene in people’s lives telling them what to do, or what to think or how to live their life and has already ruled out a public information campaign to reduce energy use this winter.
Ron added: “Public messaging campaigns have huge power to change behaviour, look no further now than the huge uptake of recycling nationwide.
“However, there seems to be a big reluctance by the government to be open with the public about how much change is needed in terms of travel, heating our homes, and how we grow our food.
“But the campaigns need to be fair. As an example, the wealthiest 10 per cent in Britain have a carbon footprint nearly double the national average, and they should take a greater responsibility in reducing their emissions.”
For more information on green energy and how to cut your carbon footprint, call Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park, on 01782 756995.
Caption: Going green – House of Lords send a message on climate change. Picture: Wikipedia
