Retailing the green agenda

As the Copenhagen summit on climate change draws to a close, it is hard to say how much of the debate has registered with consumers.

Not a great deal, I suspect, given that the summit has largely been discussed in the language of high politics and scientific claim and counter-claim. Most of it has probably gone right over the heads of the general public, who might fairly ask: “OK, but what’s it got to do with me?”

This is where I believe business can help. Businesses, particularly retailers, are used to communicating with consumers and engaging them with products, services and issues. They do this day-in, day-out on the high street.

Consumers may not relate to tons of CO2, but they can relate to clear messages like lower energy bills. They want to do their bit and reduce carbon emissions, and are likely to respond better to green incentives than green taxes.

To this end, I believe it is vital that governments should work much more closely with businesses on the climate change agenda so we can really make a difference with consumers.

We are already seeing signs of this with the Government’s Pay As You Save scheme and the Conservatives’ Green Deal. Both provide funding for home energy improvements carried
out by companies, with the costs met through resulting energy savings. And the boiler scrappage scheme, announced in the Pre-Budget Report, is a further example of link-ups between the public and private sectors.

Retailers are already responding. From early next year, B&Q will be training thousands of store staff to be eco-advisers to help customers make their homes more energy-efficient, and therefore cheaper to run.

Eco-shops within shops will also be added, so all the products, services and advice customers need to cut energy, water and waste are in one place. The key is to make it easy and affordable
for consumers. Additionally, B&Q is in talks with partners so that we can offer home eco-audits to assess homeowners’ energy-saving requirements, and provide all the products, installed services and customer financing packages needed to meet their needs.

Other countries are making progress too. Germany and the US have announced grants to encourage the production of renewable energy, while France has planned a carbon tax that comes into force next year, the proceeds being returned to families and business through tax credits, tax cuts and other green incentives. And in China, where green issues are less well developed, climate change is at least on the agenda now, even if it is still relatively low on consumers’ list of priorities.

There are many other ways in which businesses can help government meet their carbon emissions target. For example, staff can be environmental champions in their local communities, and supply chains can be used to encourage improved practices from manufacturers around the world.

If Copenhagen is to be part of an ongoing process, government must work much more closely with private enterprises like retailers. Together we can make a great team.

• Ian Cheshire is chief executive of Kingfisher