New initiative aims to change attitudes towards energy waste

Schneider Electric UK’s ‘Rethink Energy’ initiative hopes to raise awareness and encourage consumers to make conscious decisions towards an energy efficient future

A new initiative aimed at changing business, consumer and government attitudes towards energy waste and helping tackle climate change has been launched.

Schneider Electric UK’s ‘Rethink Energy’ initiative hopes to raise awareness and encourage consumers and government to make conscious decisions towards an energy efficient future.

The organisation believes while other forms of waste such as plastics, fast fashion and food are highly visible, energy is frequently overlooked.

A study of 2,000 UK adults and more than 600 businesses commissioned by Schneider Electric found only 10% of consumers want to do more to curb their current energy use while 74% believe they already do enough.

It also reveals around 68% of business leaders reported their organisations wastes energy, particularly in the form of inefficient buildings and office space, while under half (43%) of them said their organisation had not implemented any energy efficiency measures in 2018.

Mike Hughes, Zone President, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland said: “We need to bring energy front of mind. The market needs to take an activist approach to advocate for and instil efficiency and build an investment mindset if we are to achieve the 2050 net zero goal. As energy waste becomes more visible, businesses will increasingly be held accountable.”

“HM Treasury recently suggested it could cost the UK around £1 trillion to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 but it’s not about cost, it’s about huge savings. Sustainability is a cost that pays for itself and technology and innovation will be key to meeting the energy efficiency challenge.”

MPs on the the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has warned the UK “stands no chance” of meeting its emissions reduction targets as well as the 2050 net zero goal without urgent action on energy efficiency.

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