What we've done so far
Latest news - Government launches 'Low Carbon Communities Challenge' / 28.09.09
Today Government launched the Low Carbon Communities Challenge, a two-year programme to provide financial and advisory support to 20 ‘test-bed’ communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are seeking to cut carbon emissions.
The findings from the Big Energy Shift public dialogue suggest that households could benefit significantly from joined-up ‘packages’ of support, delivered locally in the community, to help them reduce home energy consumption and make deep cuts in their carbon emissions. Such packages could include, for example, smart meters, home energy audits, access to local demonstration homes, leadership from local schools, businesses and public buildings, and more hands-on support navigating advice and determining which energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies are right for them.
The Government believes that this type of integrated approach, involving technological solutions alongside community and household-level behaviour change, and delivered via new collaborations between local public, private and third sector organisations, will be critical to achieving the carbon emission cuts we need. However, as yet there is no blueprint for effective action or clear sense of how much can be achieved through this route – hence the Challenge, which is designed to test the success of different plans.
The Challenge will allow the experiences of people living and working in communities that take part to be shared publicly, along with the quantitative data on carbon and energy savings. The information will be used to offer continuous learning and improvement, and the lessons learned will be made available to other communities across the country. The learning will also inform government's wider delivery plans on energy and climate change. To find out more visit the DECC website http://decc.gov.uk/
Latest news - Message from Joan Ruddock, DECC Minister / 15.07.09
As a participant in the Big Energy Shift, you will know that Government has been preparing a plan of action on energy security and climate change. In our conversations with you as a group, you told us what you thought should be in the plans, such as immediate progress in Government buildings, and a package of support measures in your area. The kinds of measures you liked included smart meters, technologies in schools and village halls, home advisory services and better financial support.
Over the last few weeks, Ministers and officials from Government have been reflecting on what you said. There are some challenges: cost and complexity, and the fact that each of you will have different needs for your homes and communities that will need to be catered for. We are keen, however, to take up your recommendations. For this reason, we have decided that it is best to start with a trial.
I'm delighted to let you know that the Government's plan – the Low Carbon Transition Plan – was published today and announces plans for this trial. The green villages, towns and cities challenge, as we have called it, offers £10m in total to 15 communities and their local authorities who are interested in working with us to explore your recommendations in practice. The trial will start in January next year and we expect it to cover urban and rural communities in different parts of the UK.
The green villages, towns and cities challenge is a direct result of your contribution to the Big Energy Shift. We are grateful to you for your help.
If you would like to stay involved and follow the progress of the trial, then please visit the website www.bigenergyshift.org.uk Over the months, the website will be adapted to give details about the challenge, and portray the experiences of residents and employees living in the trial areas.
Thank you once again for your contribution.
Best wishes
Joan Ruddock
Latest news - Big Energy Shift report now available / 14.07.09
We are pleased to announce that the Big Energy Shift report is now available. The report was written by Ipsos MORI, who conducted the research, and covers all of the issues discussed (such as new energy technologies and how to finance them) during the research events in the nine communities and at the final event held in London.
It is quite a thorough document and there is a summary of the key findings at the front of the report. Click here if you would like to download a pdf version of the report.
Latest news - Message from Joan Ruddock, DECC Minister / 21.04.09
Since the project began in February, officials in DECC have been telling me about your discussions and it was nice to be able to meet some of you personally at the the final event in London.
I've heard that you are, overall, enthusiastic about the Big Energy Shift and that you support the idea. But you're also concerned about how to finance technologies, and about the potential disruption that installing new kit might cause to your homes. You have also told us that you want to see real progress in Government's own buildings.
These are just snippets of what you have said and I look forward to finding out much more when the final report is published in early May.
Meanwhile, do sign up to the ACT ON CO2 email reminders at www.direct.gov.uk/ActOnCO2
ACT ON CO2 is a government-led campaign to encourage people to save money and energy , and for the next 10 weeks will send out one email reminder a week. Each will focus on an action you can take to reduce your carbon footprint and save money – from insulating your home, to cutting food waste, to growing your own veg!
Lest us know how you get on!
Best wishes,
Joan Ruddock
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- For information on Saving Energy and lowering your carbon footprint use the links below:
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- If you are based in Wales visit
http://wales.gov.uk/walescarbonfootprint/
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