Counter culture

A simple but radical idea runs right through the Government’s Strategy on sustainable production and consumption. It’s the ‘one planet economy’. Roger East explains.

Efficient resource use sounds like a no-brainer – but what’s this ‘one planet economy’? Put simply, it means producing more from less – and living smarter lives that make better use of resources. Our wasteful developed country lifestyles currently depend on production and consumption patterns that can’t be replicated worldwide – we’d be using up three planets if we all lived like that. There’s scope for beneficial change on the production side – but what about us consumers? Are we up for it? We may tell the surveys we’d like to be greener – but we fail to follow through. Embedding the principles of sustainability in our behaviour won’t just happen by itself. The process will need to be managed using widely acceptable policy tools. Regulation is one route. Then there’s taxation (of ‘bads, not goods’). But research also points to the need for government to take a lead itself, as it is now doing on public procurement [see ‘Making the money talk’] or air travel [‘air milestone’]. In short, to ‘exemplify’. That’s one of the four crucial ‘E’s – along with ‘enable’, ‘engage’, and ‘encourage’. To score on those ‘E’s, the National Consumer Council (NCC) urges more use of positive incentives. That way, public policy isn’t perceived as preachy, or unwarranted interference – it’s experienced as something that makes things easier, or more attractive. A well-judged initiative can help establish a social norm. Once something’s a habit, it’s much easier to sustain than change. Here are some engaging initiatives around the world, from NCC’s report 16 pain-free ways to help save the planet:

• Norway’s lottery scheme for recyclers: put your phone number on a drinks carton, or a battery, and a random draw could win you a fat cash prize;
• London’s congestion charge;
• Glasgow’s First Foods weaning scheme – low-cost equipment and advice to mothers for making baby food;
• Washington state’s Get in the Loop programme, incouraging retailers to stock recycled goods; and
• Pro-Local Supply, an Austrian initiative to integrate farms and manufacturers with local schools, hospitals, shops and individual consumers; a single umbrella organisation helps build trust and credibility for the Pro-Local brand.

Roger East is managing editor of Green Futures

Architect’s view At last we are waking up, says Bill Dunster, to “the exponentially increasing financial, social and health costs of a fossil-fuel-dependent economy.” The alternative? “To realise our collective transition to a zero-carbon, zero-waste nation – within the 20-year window that the climate change experts say is critical.” How? “There is a growing acceptance that we can’t meet current heat and power demands from green power on the grid. And that the only safe way of avoiding long-term conflict over dwindling international stocks of oil and gas, or the dreadful long-term legacy of nuclear power, is a mixture of load reduction, energy conservation and, above all, microgeneration. Can you put that more succinctly? “It’s glow in the dark, war in Iraq – or zero-fossil energy development and renovation now!” Sounds grim. “Not at all. There are now thousands of people wishing to live and work in carbon neutral Zero Energy Developments (ZEDs).” Powered by? “Building-integrated renewable energy microgeneration technologies.” They sound expensive! “John Prescott’s sustainable communities programme proposes building 160,000 additional homes. If we built just 3% of these to ZED standards, the economies of scale would be enough to bring down the price of the microgen technology – solar heating and so on - to the point where there is no additional cost premium on new buildings.” So we’d all have to move house? “With similar economies of scale, most existing homes can be provided with the same zero-carbon upgrade kit for less cost than building new nuclear power stations.” Bill Dunster, architect of the pioneering BedZED development in south London, specialises in low environmental impact buildings.

More than 80% of the environmental impact of products is determined at the point of design. Smarter thinking at the drawing board, and effective labelling to promote consumer awareness at the point of sale, have halved the energy consumption of the average fridge freezer sold in the UK in the last eight years. Epson UK’s headquarters has an unusual and impressive ‘energy mirror’ in the main entrance. It records and displays, for all to see, the real-time electricity and gas use throughout the building and in all the machinery there. Heightened awareness helped cut energy use per employee by 21% between 2001 and 2003.

24 June 2005

Roger East