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.

Deep in a Lakeland valley, next to the hamlet of Elterwater, is the Langdale Hotel and Timeshare, a holiday complex with breathtaking views over the fells. The successful business owes its existence to its spectacular surroundings. But it is not taking its environment for granted. It has taken a long hard look at its environmental performance, reducing energy use, installing a biomass boiler and looking into reinstating the water wheels that once powered the valley.

Elsewhere, above Ullswater, Sundog Energy provides solar and wind energy installations, for clients nationwide. Just below them, on the shores of the lake, the Outward » Continue Reading.