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UK Government Launch Carbon Footprint Calculator
David Miliiband, Environment Secretary (Transcript Below)
Today Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) officially launched the Act On CO2 carbon footprint calculator using DEFRA figures. The calculator takes into account three elements in our daily lives, home, electrical appliances and travel. The concept behind the calculator is to allow users to see the impact that their lifestyle is having on climate change, through CO2 emissions, and hopefully do something about it. From the figures input it will also offer advice and guidence on how to reduce the users footprint and possibly save them money too in the form of an action plan. Answers can be saved through registration to the site, and can be reviewed later should you wish to watch the progress in the reduction of your carbon footprint.
The calculator is currently running slow due to the huge demand on the website since its inception today.
The software that runs the calculator, complete with the Government data, will be made freely available under general public licence. This will enable others wanting to use the software to power their own calculators, using their own branding, and will soon be available on this site.
DEFRA is encouraging everyone to use the calculator, to become more aware of their carbon dioxide emissions, and to take action on ways to reduce it. They are also keen to receive feedback about how the calculator can be improved. Following the feedback received, more features will be included in updates.
Transcript of David Miliband's Video Message;
"We all know green issues have gone up the political agenda. We also know that as well as government taking a lead, business doing the technological innovation that’s so important in the battle against climate change, individuals want to make a contribution too. That’s what this podcast is all about and it’s what the carbon calculator is designed to help achieve.
Individual decisions about home heating, about electrical appliances about transport account for nearly 50% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, the pollution that causes global warming. Many people want to make a difference but they don’t know how to. That’s what the carbon calculator is designed to help achieve: Real differences in individuals’ lives, hopefully helping them in their wallet but also helping the environment.
The carbon calculator is simple to use. I’m using it myself. I’m about average at the moment but I don’t think they’ve fully taken on board all of my travel. Anyway, it looks at your home heating, your electrical appliances and your personal travel. It’s got about 15 or 20 questions that you have to fill in and the simple rationale is that when people are given information about how to do the right thing, they will. So as well as telling you your carbon number, your pollution number, it will also tell you what you can do to reduce the impact of your decisions on the environment; turning down your thermostat, thinking about alternative modes of travel, switching to renewable electricity - all of them are part of this - I think, user friendly approach to helping individuals make a difference.
We’re doing something unusual as well in publishing this carbon calculator in draft. We’re trying to make it better and the best way to make it better is for you to use it and send us your comments about how user friendly it is, so we hope you’ll do that. In the process you can make a contribution to what I think is the great challenge for our time
Thank you very much indeed."
If you would like to comment on today's announcement or on the calculator, feel free to leave a reply to this article
Today Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) officially launched the Act On CO2 carbon footprint calculator using DEFRA figures. The calculator takes into account three elements in our daily lives, home, electrical appliances and travel. The concept behind the calculator is to allow users to see the impact that their lifestyle is having on climate change, through CO2 emissions, and hopefully do something about it. From the figures input it will also offer advice and guidence on how to reduce the users footprint and possibly save them money too in the form of an action plan. Answers can be saved through registration to the site, and can be reviewed later should you wish to watch the progress in the reduction of your carbon footprint.
The calculator is currently running slow due to the huge demand on the website since its inception today.
The software that runs the calculator, complete with the Government data, will be made freely available under general public licence. This will enable others wanting to use the software to power their own calculators, using their own branding, and will soon be available on this site.
DEFRA is encouraging everyone to use the calculator, to become more aware of their carbon dioxide emissions, and to take action on ways to reduce it. They are also keen to receive feedback about how the calculator can be improved. Following the feedback received, more features will be included in updates.
Transcript of David Miliband's Video Message;
"We all know green issues have gone up the political agenda. We also know that as well as government taking a lead, business doing the technological innovation that’s so important in the battle against climate change, individuals want to make a contribution too. That’s what this podcast is all about and it’s what the carbon calculator is designed to help achieve.
Individual decisions about home heating, about electrical appliances about transport account for nearly 50% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, the pollution that causes global warming. Many people want to make a difference but they don’t know how to. That’s what the carbon calculator is designed to help achieve: Real differences in individuals’ lives, hopefully helping them in their wallet but also helping the environment.
The carbon calculator is simple to use. I’m using it myself. I’m about average at the moment but I don’t think they’ve fully taken on board all of my travel. Anyway, it looks at your home heating, your electrical appliances and your personal travel. It’s got about 15 or 20 questions that you have to fill in and the simple rationale is that when people are given information about how to do the right thing, they will. So as well as telling you your carbon number, your pollution number, it will also tell you what you can do to reduce the impact of your decisions on the environment; turning down your thermostat, thinking about alternative modes of travel, switching to renewable electricity - all of them are part of this - I think, user friendly approach to helping individuals make a difference.
We’re doing something unusual as well in publishing this carbon calculator in draft. We’re trying to make it better and the best way to make it better is for you to use it and send us your comments about how user friendly it is, so we hope you’ll do that. In the process you can make a contribution to what I think is the great challenge for our time
Thank you very much indeed."
If you would like to comment on today's announcement or on the calculator, feel free to leave a reply to this article
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