New rules that came into force last month will pitch some of the UK’s largest organisations against each other in a drive to cut CO2 emissions.
For the first time, large non-energy intensive organisations, which account for about 10% of UK CO2 emissions, will be legally bound to closely monitor and report their emissions from energy use in preparation for carbon trading. The scheme will also give people and businesses the opportunity to compare organisations’ efforts to combat climate change for the first time.
The Government Scheme, known as the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, will include household names such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Marks & Spencer. It will also include manufacturers such as Proctor & Gamble and Unilever.
More than 20,000 organisations will have to register with the Environment Agency by the end of September this year. Around 5,000 of these organisations – those that used at least 6,000 Megawatt hour (MWh) of half hourly metered electricity in 2008 – will have to report their emissions and, from 2011, buy allowances for every tonne of CO2 they emit.
All the money raised from allowance sales will be recycled back to participants according to their energy performance. The best performers will get more money back than they paid, while poor performers will get less. An annual league table will be published by the Environment Agency highlighting the best and worst performers.
“The league table is a very public judgement on how seriously you take your environmental responsibilities,” says Tony Grayling, head of climate change and sustainability at the Environment Agency. “If organisations don’t take up the challenge, there is a risk to their reputation and their pockets.”
Within the top 10 sectors affected by CRC are engineering; plastics/chemicals; packaging/paper/board; and food manufacturing.
Help and advice is available on The Environment Agency website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/crc.
Maureen Byrne,
Editor
Maureen Byrne
