Political leadership in this Parliament is essential if the UK is to achieve the ambitious targets set out by Parliament in the Climate Change Act and secure the economic benefits of a rapid transition to a low carbon economy.

To help MPs lead this vital agenda at national and constituency level, Green Alliance and Ashridge Business School have established a Climate Leadership Programme.

This is a unique partnership designed to help MPs develop the knowledge, networks and understanding to take positive action on climate change during a time of economic uncertainty and financial austerity. It aims to:

Allow politicians to strengthen their » Continue Reading.

The UK’s new Parliament, elected in May last year, has a historic responsibility. It is the last Parliament that can take action to avoid runaway climate change. The science tells us that global emissions need to peak during the current decade and decline steeply thereafter. Representatives of all parties in the next Parliament will need to lead the UK toward this low carbon future.

There are huge benefits for countries who can take the lead in low carbon technologies and approaches, from energy security to more resilient communities.

The new Parliament in 2010 is the last window of opportunity to » Continue Reading.

Housing and planning policy should be governed by the proximity principle: the idea that compact cities, towns and villages produce the best social, economic and environmental outcomes.

Proximity brings people, shops, schools and healthcare closer together. It drives creativity and innovation. It means less distance to travel: people are more likely to walk or cycle, which in turn makes streets safer and more welcoming. There are environmental advantages, too, with less land and energy required.

Before the development of modern transport, proximity was achieved automatically. But today, it requires careful planning and intervention by government. Yet government policy is contradictory. » Continue Reading.

A building services manager for a local council. A Cumbrian hill farmer. A high-end concierge service. And a Bath-based leadership coach. These are not the people who you would expect to be pioneering solutions to climate change. Yet each of them is responsible for innovations that could put us on the path to a lower-carbon society.

We know that we need to reduce our carbon emissions drastically. The latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show an acceleration in the rate of changes to the global climate. In October 2006, the Stern Report on the economics of climate » Continue Reading.

This report, published in April 2006, argues that we will only succeed in tackling climate change and increasing energy security if we take a step back and think about the purpose of our energy system, and the role of individuals within it.

The report, published by Green Alliance in association with the think-tank Compass, puts forward a new and very different energy future: one that envisages a much more active role for individuals and communities. One in which the energy system is no longer remote and centralised, but embedded in our lives and homes. Where energy » Continue Reading.

Published by the Policy Studies Institute, this report proposes a ‘green living initiative’ to encourage households to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. It recommends a radical overhaul of the tax system, proposing inefficiency charges on products that waste energy and water, and incentives to reward consumers for making greener choices.

The report argues that tax incentives should be linked to clear information, advice and branding. For example, inefficiency charges, levied on products such as disposable batteries and garden sprinklers, should be accompanied by prominent messages about the reason for the charge. A Council Tax reduction for energy efficient homes, together » Continue Reading.

This research was commissioned by the Carbon Trust, and explores the reasons why companies working with the Carbon Trust take action on climate change. The research looks in particular at the role of policy and legislation in encouraging businesses to take further steps to manage their carbon emissions.

An initiative of Greenpeace, Cambridge University and the University of Newcastle, this independent Citizens’ Jury was an innovative experiment in public involvement in a controversial area of science. I chaired the Oversight Panel, which managed the entire Jury process.

Nanotechnologies will impact on every sphere of our lives, from healthcare and defence to food. However, there has been little public debate about how these new technologies should be managed or developed. The Citizens’ Jury brought together 15 people from all walks of life, in Halifax, Yorkshire, for ten sessions. Witnesses including scientists, civil servants and campaigners were called, and debated with » Continue Reading.

This Demos pamphlet, co-authored with James Wilsdon and published in 2004, explores the ways in which we can expose to public scrutiny the assumptions, values and visions that drive science.

This report, commissioned by Cumbria Vision and the NorthWest Development Agency, puts forward a detailed business plan for an Energy Agency for Cumbria, to promote low-carbon distributed energy and energy efficiency.

The Cumbrian Economic Strategy identifies ‘Energy and the opportunities of the low carbon economy’ as one of two strategic priorities for the County. Cumbria has an abundance of natural resources that could be used to generate electricity and heat, and a number of leading renewable and sustainable energy companies including Sundog, Gilkes and Energy4All. Despite this, it is not as effective as other » Continue Reading.