When asked what the ‘biggest issue facing us right now’ is, just 22% of people said climate change.
However, the study between Veolia and YouGov also found that two in five adults said that their concern about carbon in 2020 had grown over the last 5 years.
Waste management firm Veolia says ‘we need to change the narrative’, and that protecting the planet needs to be at the ‘top of everyone’s agenda’. It says that the UK must stop looking at renewable and low carbon energy as ‘luxury choices’, and look at them being the ‘only option for a decarbonised future’.
Despite some growing concern, only 17% of those asked had ‘faith’ in the UK reaching our net zero targets by 2050. Carbon emissions are one of the biggest contributors to global warming and to reduce these the Government has been pledging support to alternate low carbon and renewable energy solutions through the Resources and Waste Strategy and the Green Heat Network Fund.
However, the public also showed that they believe it was ‘everyone’s responsibility’ to help cut carbon ranging from the Government ( 27%) to consumers (17%) to the energy industry (20%) to UK business (10%).
We must stop looking at renewable and low carbon energy as luxury choices, and look at them being the only option for a decarbonised future
Tim Duret, Director of Sustainable Technology Veolia UK and Ireland says, “Reducing our carbon emissions is a key way to stop global warming and limit the damage we are doing to the environment.
“When asked what the biggest issue was facing us right now, only 22% of people said climate change. We need to change the narrative, protecting our planet needs to be at the top of everyone’s agenda and as an industry we are working alongside the Government to make sure that the only option is the carbon neutral option.
“Through innovation we can use our resources, our sludge, our waste, our wind, our biomass to create clean energy. We must stop looking at renewable and low carbon energy as luxury choices, and look at them being the only option for a decarbonised future.”
Veolia now manages 500MWe of low carbon and renewable energy, enough to power 1.2 million homes.
The energy activities of Veolia, it says, annually achieve CO2 reductions of around 400,000 tonnes for customers through efficient on-site generation of low carbon and renewable electricity, heat and cooling.
“By using combined heat and power (CHP) technologies, we enable over 600 energy customers to deliver major carbon savings and secure their own stable electricity and heat supplies independent of the grid,” it says.