Almost 60% of Brits look at 2021 as a ‘pivotal year’ for building a greener future

Almost 60% of Brits look at 2021 as a ‘pivotal year’ for building a greener future

Jan 18, 2021

New research from Triodos Bank suggests nearly 67% of the public think the planet is in the worse shape it has ever been, and that the world needs to take immediate action in the next 12 months to tackle the climate emergency.

Greener global future

This research also indicates that six out of ten Brits believe that 2021 will be a pivotal year for building a greener global future.

Bevis Watts, Chief Executive Officer of Triodos Bank UK, “It’s brilliant to witness a swell of environmental optimism in the UK, and that millions of people are looking at how they can do their bit to join the global community in taking climate action and protect the environment.

US to re-enter Paris Agreement

Following the pledge of the President-elect Joe Biden to tackle the climate emergency, 60% of people believe that the US re-entering the Paris Agreement on climate change will have a positive effect on the planet. With almost half of the people in the UK also thinking President-elect Biden’s win has made them more hopeful about the future of the planet.

Greener lifestyle

The findings of the survey of 2,000 adults, conducted by Opinium Research, also showed nearly 38% of the public plan to do their bit to live a greener lifestyle in 2021. Nearly half of the respondents say they know they should be doing more to be environmentally friendly, while more than a third admit to feeling guilty about their carbon footprint. Brits intend to boost their energy-saving efforts in 2021, according to the survey.

How can businesses help address climate change?

Your business can help fight climate change by reducing emissions with our green products and services, including our green energy plan and electric vehicle workplace charging.

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Balancing planet and profit during unprecedented market volatility

06 Jul, 2022

Balancing planet and profit during unprecedented market volatility

Why are energy prices high compared to a year ago?

By Vander Caceres • 14 Jun, 2022

Wholesale energy prices have experienced unprecedented levels of volatility since the end of summer 2021, with both day ahead/spot and future contracts surging to all-time highs. In the last couple of months, prices have decreased but still remain high compared to a year ago. This period of high energy prices is expected to continue for the foreseeable future (see next section). Energy prices have surged for a number of reasons: A global increase in gas demand following the ease or end of Covid-related restrictions throughout 2021. After the pandemic, economies across the world started to recover. Asian countries like China saw their imports of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) increase. This resulted in lower LNG shipments to the UK and Europe. On the supply side, the Covid-19 lockdowns pushed some maintenance work from 2020 into 2021 at a time when demand was recovering. In 2021, gas production hit a record low of 363TWh, 47TWh below the previous record low in 2013. Low production was the result of an extensive summer maintenance schedule which saw shutdowns at several major terminals, as well as the Forties Pipeline System which serves a significant proportion of UK gas and oil production. A lack of wind in the summer resulted in higher demand for conventional power. European gas storage in 2021 and Q1’22 remained far below previous years and it’s unclear how these are going to be replenished in the summer given the concerns around supply including the potential suspension of Russian gas flows due to sanctions. The 1,234km offshore Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was designed to double the flow of gas between Russia and Germany (and by extension the rest of Europe) has been abandoned following the invasion of Ukraine. Gas storage in the UK is extremely minimal with capacity at less than 2% of the UK’s annual demand, compared with 22% for other European countries. Whilst the UK is not heavily reliant on gas coming from Russia, it sources almost half it’s gas supply from Europe. Hence, wholesale gas and power prices in the UK are now subject to knock-on-effects from the conflict in Ukraine.

What does volatility mean for your journey to net zero?

20 May, 2022

Amidst rising energy costs, digitalisation, growing pressure from stakeholders and increasing regulation, organisations may struggle to define their pathway to a low-carbon future. What can you do to protect your business’ net zero plans from the challenges of volatility? Disruption and volatility are putting organisations under pressure. Digitalisation and new technology developments continue to challenge existing business models. Its increasing dependence on energy and encouraging businesses to drive change to secure competitive advantage. And as customers, employees and shareholders look to engage with companies who understand the importance of decarbonisation, pressure is mounting to prioritise sustainability.

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