www.theclimategroup.org/assets/resources/together_press_release.pdf
te itself may have changed. You can check the current page or check for previous versions at the Internet Archive.
Yahoo! is not affiliated with the authors of this page or responsible for its content.
Businesses Come Together to Help Consumers Tackle Climate Change
Industries join forces to provide simple solutions for individuals
23 April 2007 Eight major UK companies today join with Tony Blair to unveil Were in this Together,
a campaign to provide consumers with compelling products and services that make it easier to reduce
their CO2 emissions.
Were in this Together will provide both ideas for behavioural change and practical solutions for
consumers to help them reduce their household emissions by one tonne over three years.
In an unprecedented demonstration of support, retailers, banking, media and service providers from
across the UK (B&Q, Barclaycard, British Gas, Marks & Spencer, O2, Royal & SunAlliance, BSkyB &
Tesco) have all united behind this initiative, with more brands set to join throughout 2007 including
HSBC and National Express. The coalition also reaches outside business with active support coming
from the Energy Saving Trust, Defra, the National Consumer Council, The Church of England, Stop
Climate Chaos and Live Earth.
The campaign, building over 3 years, aims to reach every UK household by continuing to increase the
number of brands in the partnership, and the number of initiatives offered to consumers. Should every
UK household take up the campaign initiatives, there is a potential saving of 25 million tonnes of CO2,
more than the combined emissions of Scotland and Wales.
Partners will provide either products, services or advice for consumers to actively facilitate the
reduction of their household emissions. These initiatives will be brought together on
www.together.com
where the collective reduction in emissions will be calculated, intermediate targets
established, and people given access to information on how they can take part.
Formed as a deliberate response to research* showing that people feel powerless when faced with the
challenge of climate change, the campaign is spearheaded by The Climate Group, an NGO created to
act as a catalyst between business, state and civil groups to tackle climate change.
Dr Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group said: Today marks an unprecedented commitment from
some of the UK's favourite brands to help their customers tackle climate change. These brands have
come up with new and innovative ways to make it easier to save energy, from watching TV, insulating
roofs and insuring cars, to washing our clothes and lighting our homes."
Dr Howard continues: These companies have developed solutions which allow consumers to do their
bit. All our partners are committed to making dealing with climate change more accessible to their
customers. The success of the campaign will rest on reaching as many people as possible, not just
the usual audience for green initiatives. We can only deal with climate change if we do it together.
The effectiveness of the campaign will be measured in two ways: The aggregated carbon savings as a
result of consumer uptake of partner solutions will be measured using calculations developed by the
Energy Saving Trust. The Climate Group will also track behavioural change as a result of solutions
promoted via the Were in this Together campaign. This will be via an expanded version of their
existing tracking study called the Climate Conscious Consumer.
Dr Ashok Sinha of Stop Climate Chaos said: Were in this Together is a highly welcome initiative.
Through it consumers will be able to use their purchasing power to embolden decision-makers,
ensuring the UK achieves our fair share of an international effort to keep global warming under the
danger threshold of 2
o
C.
Dr Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, said: The Church of England is officially committed to 'cutting
the carbon'. Our Shrinking the Footprint campaign is helping congregations to see the connection
between caring for God's creation and embracing a greener way of life. We are glad to support this
effort because it is true that 'We're in this together' and to engage our own members and those of
other faiths. In addition were publishing today a practical guide 'How many lightbulbs does it take to
change a Christian?'
*
Serving the climate-change-conscious consumer
http://theclimategroup.org/index.php/news_and_events/news_and_comment/new_research_serving_the_climate_conscious_co
nsumer/
All statistics and data verified by the Energy Saving Trust
- Ends -
For further information and photography, please contact:
James Fentiman 020 7291 6372 or email james.fentiman@freud.com
Gareth Jordan 020 7291 6434 or email gareth.jordan@freud.com
Contact above addresses for password to online press pack on
www.together.com/press
Notes to Editors
About The Climate Group
The Climate Group is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating the international uptake of corporate
and government best practice in emissions reduction. We have
offices and charitable status in the UK, USA and Australia and are expanding into India and China in 2007. Proactive
companies, states, regions and cities around the world are demonstrating that the cuts in greenhouse gases required to stop
climate change can be achieved while growing the bottom line. Using the work of these leaders as a catalyst, The Climate
Group strives to accelerate international action on global warming with a new, strong focus on practical solutions. Since
launching in 2004, we have developed an interlocking programme of sectoral leadership groups, research and publication,
media engagement, and high-impact events. Our coalition has demonstrated that emissions reductions, while essential, can
also be profitable. We inspire further action and outreach and mobilise business and sub-national governments to implement
and support effective strategies and policies that mitigate climate change. We also promote the development and sharing of
expertise on how business and government can lead the way towards a low carbon economy while boosting profitability and
competitiveness.
About Energy Saving Trust
The Energy Saving Trust is one of the UKs leading organisations set up to address the damaging effects of climate change. It
aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions the main greenhouse gas causing climate change by promoting the sustainable and
efficient use of energy. It is an independent, non-profit making organisation and acts as a bridge from government to
consumers, trade, businesses, local authorities and the energy market; providing impartial information and advice through a
network of advice centres in the UK which are specifically designed to help consumers take action to save energy. Householder
who are ready to take action and implement energy-saving measures in their homes can contact their local EEAC on 0800 512
012 to obtain free and impartial advice. For more information visit
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
About National Consumer Council
The National Consumer Council makes a practical difference to the lives of consumers in the UK, using its insight into consumer
needs to advocate change. We work with public service providers, businesses and regulators, and our relationship with the
Department for Trade and Industry our main funder gives us a strong connection within government. We conduct rigorous
research and policy analysis to investigate key consumer issues, and use this to influence organisations and people that make
change happen. Check www.ncc.org.uk for our latest news
About Stop Climate Chaos
Launched on 1 September 2005 Stop Climate Chaos (a registered charity) aims to be the broadest and most diverse coalition
yet established within the UK to campaign for changes to government policy on climate change. Its growing membership
which includes many of the UKs leading environmental organisations, international development agencies and other national
campaigning bodies aims to build irresistible public pressure on the UK Government to act at home and abroad to prevent
global warming from exceeding the widely-accepted danger threshold of 2 deg. C.
About Live Earth
Live Earth will use the global reach of music to engage people on a mass scale to combat our climate crisis. Live Earth will bring
together more than 150 of the world's top musicians for 24-hours of music from 7 concerts across all 7 continents. Live Earth will
bring together an audience of more than 2 billion at the concerts and through television, radio, film, and the Internet. That
audience, and the proceeds from the event, will create the foundation for a new, multi-year global effort to combat the climate
crisis led by Vice President Al Gore. Kevin Wall, Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8, is producing Live Earth.
Green Events Standard
We have taken every measure to ensure that carbon emissions associated with this press conference are minimal, and
those that are unavoidable, are then off set