Bringing Home Energy Efficiency & Putting Carbon Footprinting to Work

A UK energy act has come into law which aims
to boost energy efficiency in residential homes. The Department for Energy and
Climate Change (DECC) said more than half of UK homes have insufficient insulation
and around 50% more energy is used to heat and power homes than is used to power
UK industry. Meanwhile, the UK Carbon Trust has launched Footprint
Verification, a new service that will provide companies and organisations with
independent verification of their corporate carbon footprints.

Reuters, London (20 October 2011):

A UK energy act came into law on Wednesday
which aims to boost energy efficiency in residential homes, the Department for
Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said.

More than half of UK homes have insufficient
insulation, and around 50 percent more energy is used to heat and power homes
than is used to power UK industry, according to DECC.

“It is vital, therefore, that action is
taken to address home energy efficiency,” the department said.

“The coalition is doing all it can to
bear down on energy prices, but insulation will provide the long-term help to
manage bills,” energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne said.

DECC also said that the energy act would set
in stone the legal framework for the ‘Green Deal’, which will be launched in
autumn next year.

“The Green Deal will help people
insulate against rising energy prices, creating homes which are warmer and
cheaper to run,” DECC said.

Climate change minister Greg Barker said that
the Green Deal is “expected to attract capital investment of up to 15
billion pounds in the residential sector alone by the end of this decade and at
its peak support around 250,000 jobs.”

The key elements to the energy act will
remove the upfront cost of energy efficiency measures (like loft, cavity and
external wall insulation, draught proofing and energy efficiency glazing and
boilers) making expensive home improvement affordable.

DECC said that the energy saving work will be
repaid over time through a charge on the home’s energy bill.

The act aims to provide financial help for
the most vulnerable and hardest-to-treat homes by getting energy companies to
fund work like basic insulation and boiler upgrades.

The act also aims to improve at least 682,000
privately rented homes.

“From April 2018 it will be unlawful to
rent out a house or business premise which has less than an ‘E’ energy
efficiency rating,” DECC said.

“The Green Deal scheme is innovative.
Historically, Energy Performance Certificates have been seen as a white
elephant. However, today’s regulations provide a strong incentive for landlords
to pay attention to their building’s energy efficiency,” David Symons,
director at consultancy WSP Environment & Energy, said.

But Symons said there were still hurdles to
overcome before the legislation would be a success.

“Early indications are that customers
may still have to provide an up-front payment to make the scheme work” and
that the “scheme will struggle if high demand leads to shoddy
workmanship.”

Source: www.climatespectator.com.au

Carbon Trust launches new service to verify
company carbon footprints

Footprint Verification service gives
assurance for annual reporting and disclosure to stakeholders

Carbon Trust, London, (12 October 2011):

The Carbon Trust launches Footprint
Verification, a new service that will provide companies and organisations with
independent verification of their corporate carbon footprints.

The service has been launched to help
companies and organisations manage the increasing demand for robust carbon
emissions data in CSR & annual reports and websites, as well as to support
the disclosure of emissions to third party stakeholders, such as shareholders
and investors. Using the new service, organisations can display a Footprint
Verification logo, in conjunction with the carbon footprint data, showing that
their emissions have been verified. The verified carbon footprint provided is
compliant with both the internationally recognised GHG Protocol, as well as the
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

Harry Morrison, Director, Carbon Trust
Certification, says:

“With the prospect of mandatory carbon
reporting on the horizon and increasing pressure from shareholders for carbon
disclosure, more companies and organisations are seeking independent assurance
that their carbon footprint has been measured robustly and accurately. Most
companies understand now that what you can’t measure, you can’t manage. And
Footprint Verification is a key service for those wanting to build a robust
foundation for their carbon management strategy.”

The news follows new findings from the Carbon
Trust that 50% of multinationals look set to select their suppliers based upon
carbon performance in the future.

Harry Morrison added:

“The business case for measuring and reducing
carbon emissions stretches beyond internal cost efficiency and improving
environmental reputation. Effective carbon management also offers significant
rewards for businesses seeking to secure their places on enterprise supply
chains, which nowadays increasingly look to their suppliers to play an active
role in cutting emissions.”

The Aldersgate Group is an alliance of
leaders from business, politics and society that aims to drive action for a sustainable
economy.

Andrew Raingold, Executive Director, The
Aldersgate Group, said:

“Businesses have been very vocal in
pressing for mandatory carbon reporting to create a level playing field and
drive greater transparency of their energy footprint. With a decision expected
imminently, the development of verification is vitally important to ensure data
is both robust and reliable.”

The new Footprint Verification service
comprises a two-stage process. Firstly, a gap analysis is undertaken to
understand whether there are omissions or discrepancies in footprint data. If
these arise, an organisation can address them before seeking full verification.
Secondly, the final footprint data is verified.

Source: www.carbontruststandard.com