Category: Windows of Opportunity

Windows of Opportunity 

4th December 2023

Insulate Homes

“Our energy system is broken. People across the UK are paying sky-high bills and feeling the brunt of living in poorly insulated homes. But the solutions already exist. Find out what we’re campaigning for and how we’ll win.”

“It’s critical the government starts investing in insulation now to prevent devastating choices over the coming months and years. There are approximately 8 million homes in the UK in need of loft or cavity wall insulation, or both. Each of these measures is estimated to save approximately 20% on household energy bills. A home that undergoes both upgrades could save around 40%. With average household bills soaring into the thousands, that’s a serious saving!

What are we calling for?

A rapid programme of basic insulation measures

United for Warm Homes is calling for emergency programmes of insulation and energy-saving measures, funded by the UK government. Different approaches might be needed in different nations, but in England this should be council-led and delivered street-by-street. A street-by-street approach will ensure the insulation programme is as efficient as possible, and increase take-up.

The programme should start in neighbourhoods that are most affected by fuel poverty, as identified in our energy crisis hotspot data. By doing this, we can help as many people as possible stay warm during the cold winter months. The programme should be free of charge to all households in low-income neighbourhoods, and it should also include rented properties, as private renters are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty.

Measures should include:

  • loft and cavity wall insulation 
  • draught-proofing 
  • thermostatic radiator valves 
  • smart heating controls
  • energy audits, to help determine which improvements would be best for which homes.

We’re asking for a £15 billion programme, spread over 3 years to ensure basic insulation is urgently implemented across the UK.”  https://www.unitedforwarmhomes.uk/campaign-issue-guides/our-asks-emergency-programme-insulate-our-homes

Windows of Opportunity 

3rd December 2023

Ban Private Jets 

“Aviation is the source of an important chunk of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in high-income countries. To mitigate climate change it is thus of paramount importance to massively limit the hours of fossil-fueled flying.

BanPrivateJets.org wants to stress that, to achieve this, it is necessary to develop and implement socially acceptable policy measures…Banning private jets, the namesake of this initiative, is just one example of such measures. It achieves important reductions hitting a very small set of people without making flying more difficult for those who only infrequently do so. As such it should be socially acceptable. Moreover, it communicates the urgency of tackling climate change.

#BanPrivateJets because it hits first those who pollute most
#BanPrivateJets because it doesn’t hit people who fly rarely
#BanPrivateJets because there is no reason to allow them
#BanPrivateJets because something has to be done right now.” https://banprivatejets.org/

In 2019, Labour was considering just such a policy. The Guardian  reported “Labour is exploring plans to ban private jets from UK airports from as early as 2025 should it win the election, in the party’s latest broadside against the super-rich.”  

Windows of Opportunity 

2nd December 2023

Tax Frequent Flyers

“A small minority of frequent flyers dominate air travel in almost all countries with high aviation emissions, analysis suggests. In the UK, 70% of flights are made by a wealthy 15% of the population, with 57% not flying abroad at all.

There are calls for a frequent flyer levy – a tax that increases the more you fly each year. Greenpeace supports the tax and also wants air miles banned because they say it encourages frequent flying.

The UK government said it is reviewing aviation taxes, but insisted that a frequent flier levy would have many problems.

The campaigners believe frequent flyer levies would be broadly popular because they disproportionately affect the rich, who fly the most.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56582094 

In the meantime anyone can sign the Flight Free Pledge – https://flightfree.co.uk/

Windows of Opportunity 

1st December 2023

Ban SUVs 

“Unless you live in the snow, desert, or on a farm, you don’t need a two ton tank. Urban SUVS accelerate climate change, are a danger to cyclists & pedestrians and increase traffic congestion, as well as being conspicuous consumption”. (1)

“The majority of British motorists want an outright ban on highly polluting vehicles, such as 4x4s and SUVs, to stop them from entering well-populated areas like town and city centres. According to a survey of 1,000 UK drivers, 59 percent said they would support a ban on larger vehicles like 4x4s, SUVs and other large vehicles. A further 39 percent would support the mandatory introduction of Clean Air Zones in every town and city in the UK, as has been seen in the likes of Bath and Birmingham.”(2)

“By the early part of this year more than half of all new car sales in Europe were SUVs or SUV-styled cars. Between 2001 and 2022, in an outbreak of ongoing auto-obesity, the average kerb weight of cars sold in Europe increased by 21%. The International Energy Agency has said that annual CO2 emissions from the world’s 330m SUVs reached almost 1bn tonnes last year. According to the government, the transport sector is the biggest source of CO2 emissions in the UK (accounting for 34% of the total), with the “large majority” coming from road transport.” (3)

(1) https://bansuvs.org/

(2) https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1700962/drivers-support-suv-4×4-ban-clean-air-zones-just-stop-oil

(3) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/05/monsters-of-the-road-what-should-the-uk-do-about-suvs