BGES’s Energy Review: 3 Things from October that you need to know
1. CO2 Hits Record Levels
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased at record speed last year to hit a level not seen for more than 3 million years, writes The Guardian.
The shocking news provides unwelcome proof of the unprecedented urgency for new, low carbon, energy efficiency in every sector of UK and global life.
“Globally averaged concentrations of CO2 reached 403.3 parts per million (ppm) in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Niño event,” according to The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the UN weather agency’s annual flagship report.
“Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, we will be heading for dangerous temperature increases by the end of this century, well above the target set by the Paris climate change agreement,” World Meteorological Organisation Chief Petteri Taalas said in a statement.
2. Clean Growth Plan
During October, the Government unveiled its flagship Clean Growth Plan.
Media are reporting the Strategy will encourage industrial operators to cut their energy use.
Options being explored include voluntary building standards, simpler requirements for measuring and reporting on energy use, and an Industrial Energy Efficiency scheme to help large companies install energy-saving measures.
And, the Government is also proposing to publish joint industrial decarbonisation and energy-efficiency action plans with seven of the most energy-intensive industrial sectors, and is investing up to £100m in carbon capture and storage technologies.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said the low carbon economy could grow 11% a year between 2015 and 2030, 4 times faster than the projected growth for the economy as a whole.
Improving the route to market for new energy technologies is one thrust of the report, with £900m of public funds earmarked for smart systems and innovation in offshore wind and nuclear
The Strategy represents nothing less than a watershed moment for UK energy efficiency. Finally, the sector can get on with doing the essential work we have long been advocating.
3. Energy Resilience Failing
New research has found that British businesses could be risking 17% of their annual revenue by failing to adopt an energy resilience strategy, including energy efficiency measures, writes EDIE.
The report notes that energy resilience helps firms to reduce both commercial risk and operational failures.
The benefits of having a resilience strategy are tangible, according to the study, which claims that businesses are 13% more likely to have a good brand reputation and 34% more likely to have strong financial performance.
But poor resilience equates to £2.8m each year in damages and lost opportunities for the typical British medium sized business, according to findings from Centrica Business Solutions.
Energy efficiency, by reducing overall corporate energy usage, has a massive role to plan in every resilience strategy.
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Don’t forget – here at BGES, we’re an energy solutions business with a track record in delivering energy savings. If there’s any aspect of your energy efficiency strategy you’d like to discuss – drop us a line or get in touch.