Will 2015 Be the Year That the UK Pledges to Go Green and Clean?

Global campaigns are continually raising awareness about the state of our environment, and this year there is a serious focus on the UK to step up and “go green and clean”. Other cities around the world have made a commitment to the use of 100% clean energy by the year 2050, and the UK is to follow suit. Frankfurt, Munich, Sydney, Seattle, Copenhagen and Lima have all made the commitment thus far, pledging to make the switch. This is something that is expected to happen within at least 20 cities throughout the UK by the end of this year following grassroots campaigns endorsing this proposal in 123 towns and cities across our nation.

Though a daunting prospect posing a serious challenge to the countries in question, there are various ways in which this concept and goal can be – and is being – approached, the principle means of which are as follows:

Cutting emissions

One key way in which we can move towards this goal of using 100% clean energy is through cutting emissions through whatever means possible. The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate recently produced a body of research that suggested that simply developing better, more efficient transport systems could lead the world’s 724 largest cities to reducing their emission of harmful greenhouse gases by amounts as much as 1.4bn tonnes of CO2.

Sustainable transport

One method which is proving increasingly popular in reducing harmful emissions is innovation and development in sustainable transport. The Energy Saving Trust have a variety of schemes which aim to support businesses in their attempts to lower their business transport costs and emissions. Examples of this include making the switch to driving electrically-powered vehicles, a choice that has financial and tax incentives as well as a host of environmental benefits.

Sustainable housing

The government have developed a code with nine measures for qualifying sustainable homes. Though voluntary, these measures are put in place to keep an awareness on the practice of sustainable building that should at least be considered, if not always fully adopted, when building new properties. With 43% of the UK’s carbon emissions in 2009 coming from buildings alone, it is clear that this incentive is vital in our country’s efforts to move towards a greener, cleaner future.

Clean energy

To further pursue this low-carbon future, there are plans in place to develop greater solar farms, as well as installing solar panels on various buildings which use a lot of energy, such as schools. As well as this, there are plans to install water turbines into stretches of the Thames and other rivers, which would further improve the generation of clean energy through these efficient and environmentally-friendly methods.

Here at Brown Recycling, we are committed to improving the environment in any way we can. This is why we provide a leading skip hire and waste management service to customers throughout Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe and the surrounding areas. With over 80 years’ experience, our friendly team of experts are happy to help with any enquiry, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.