| Big businesses are currently being bombarded with | | | | shopfronts that cut out the electrical supply to |
| information about the CRC Energy Efficiency | | | | the lighting displays. The Clan, which has splinter |
| Scheme, formerly known as Carbon Reduction | | | | groups in Normandy, Bordeaux, Dordogne and the |
| Commitment, as it comes into effect this April. It | | | | Alps, claims that 10 gigawatt hours of electricity |
| signals the start of the first year of 'compliance' | | | | are consumed each year in illuminating closed |
| and when the business electricity footprints of | | | | shops. |
| those included in the scheme start to be | | | | Furthermore, research shows that the average |
| measured. | | | | internal shop temperature in Central London in |
| The CRC covers anyone consuming 6,000 mWh | | | | Winter is 23.6°C, more than five degrees |
| or more of business electricity a year. That | | | | warmer than the ideal ambient shopping |
| £500,000 worth of the stuff, enough to power | | | | temperature of 18°C as recommended by the |
| an entire village so it only includes the biggest | | | | Chartered Institute for Building Services Engineers. |
| conglomerates, supermarkets, government | | | | The hottest recorded in a survey of London's |
| institutions, Local Authorities etc. In other words, | | | | Oxford Street, for example, was a sweltering |
| small businesses (of which there are 4.5 million in | | | | 27.2°C and, worse still, only six percent of shops |
| the UK according to the Department of Business, | | | | had their doors closed at a time when the outside |
| Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) do not need | | | | temperature was close to freezing. |
| to worry about complying with the rules. Some | | | | Whilst CRC members will be forced into adopting |
| may think this is a good thing because the | | | | company-wide policies, such as remote |
| scheme intends to impose heavy penalties on | | | | temperature control, it will be more a matter of |
| those organisations who fail to keep a lid on their | | | | choice for smaller companies and their employees. |
| business electricity emissions and, worse still, public | | | | Sadly, it is a well known fact that people better at |
| shame poured on the worst offenders via an | | | | being green at home than at work. That's the |
| annual League Table that the media will be sure to | | | | conclusion of a survey by Tickbox.net/Opinion |
| devour. | | | | Matters that highlights how attitudes towards |
| However one likely repercussion, according to the | | | | recycling and energy saving differ between the |
| Environment Agency, is that business districts will | | | | home and the workplace. For instance, just over |
| soon start to change in appearance with the | | | | 40% of people said they recycled plastics at |
| multinationals and big retail chains taking the lead in | | | | home but not at work, with women being the |
| the race to the top of the league table. It is | | | | worst culprits. Similarly, other poor workplace |
| predicting, for example, the end of the 'on-all-night' | | | | practises include unnecessarily printing out emails |
| illuminated high street as businesses switch off | | | | (21%) and admitting to turning off electrical goods |
| lights and displays at night to meet new limits. | | | | at the end of the day when at home but not at |
| What this means to smaller independent retailers | | | | work (33%). |
| is that, even though they are not in the CRC | | | | To try and present the business-case of going |
| scheme, they could still fall foul of public opinion by | | | | green, The Carbon Trust is even punting CRC as |
| not following suit. | | | | a business opportunity from which an organisation |
| Environmentalist activists in France have already | | | | can profit. Its argument is that, as well as |
| have hit on a way to turn off what they see as | | | | becoming more efficient, greener firms will attract |
| a complete waste of business electricity. 'Le Clan | | | | more custom from those seeking |
| du Neon' patrol the streets in Paris at night armed | | | | environmentally-friendly credentials as a |
| with broomsticks just long enough to reach to | | | | pre-requisite for doing business. |
| external fire switches (required by law) above | | | | |