Business group targets consumers to go greener

Greenwise Staff

1st March 2010

The CBI has launched a campaign to get consumers to reduce their carbon footprint at home and in the car as it attempts to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy.

In a new report – Tackling Climate Change Closer To Home –published today by the CBI, the UK business group makes a number of recommendations to Government to get consumers to cut their carbon and costs. But it also encourages consumers to do more, through a newly launched interactive website called My Carbon Savings.

Test learner motorists on fuel-efficient driving

Amongst the recommendations the CBI makes in its report, is a call to make fuel efficient driving a mandatory part of the driving test in order to cut transport emissions and save motoring costs.

Just the one measure of ensuring learners adopt more energy efficient motoring techniques as a mandatory part of the driving test, would cut carbon and overall fuel costs by 5-10 per cent, the CBI says.

Transport accounts for one-quarter of the UK's carbon emissions and is growing at a faster rate then any other sector.

“Making energy-efficient driving techniques a mandatory part of the test will make a significant contribution to changing the next generation of motorists’ behaviour, and to cutting transport emissions,” said Dr Neil Bentley, CBI director of Business Environment. “Simply changing gears more smoothly to avoid sharp breaking and acceleration can reduce fuel consumption by a third.”

CBI's 'My Carbon Savings' site to help consumers at home and on the road

The CBI’s new consumer-facing website offers householders help on how to save money and CO2 at home and on the road, but its other aim is to drum up interest in the range of energy-efficient goods and services its member companies are developing and producing. One of the features of the website is an interactive preview of what cars and homes will look like by 2020, where products showcased include a high efficiency engine from car manufacturer Ford, and a fuel cell boiler from Calor.

As well as encouraging consumers to buy into low carbon products and services, the business group is also calling on the Government to ensure it is on track to deliver low carbon cars and homes.

Extend the boiler scrappage scheme

As well as a testing motorists on the their green driving skills, the CBI calls for council tax rebates for householders who improve their energy efficiency and the extension of the boiler scrappage scheme to domestic white goods, such as fridges and washing machines.

Some of the other recommendations it makes in its report, include a call to Government to agree long-term limits for reducing passenger car emissions and using the revenue raised from the purchase of carbon-intensive cars to incentivise consumers wishing to buy low carbon vehicles.

It also calls for the speeding up of plans for the roll out of smart meters and a push to get more firms to support staff to insulate their homes by making changes to the current tax regime.

“The Government needs to take action now to incentivise consumers to make energy efficient choices and ensure it provides the right framework to spur on businesses to develop exciting new products and services,” said Dr Bentley.