Green goes mainstream

It’s no longer a theory that the earth is warming up. We can see it for ourselves: fast melting ice caps; warmer winters and sizzling summers; year round hose pipe bans; and a bumper crop of grapes in the UK all hit the headline news in 2006. Nearly two years after 166 governments signed up to the Kyoto agreement, many are struggling to keep to their promises of cutting carbon emissions.

According to the latest YouGov poll, 85 per cent accept global warming is a reality and 71 per cent that life will be worse for our children and grandchildren. That said, most don’t want to cut back. Between 20 and 25 per cent of respondents could not imagine taking fewer holidays abroad, driving less or using fewer electrical appliances around the house.

Green taxes

Green taxes get a mixed reception. Large majorities favour taxing companies more heavily which emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, and 72% support increasing taxes on large cars and 4x4s. But those taxes would mostly be paid by other people, and there was less enthusiasm for increasing duty on petrol or additional taxes on airline flights.

Respondents wanted green incentives rather than green taxes. Large majorities were in favour of government subsidies for improving home insulation, installing solar panels and wind turbines.

The government along with private sector funding has set up the Energy Savings Trust to cut carbon emissions and achieve the sustainable use of energy. The website www.est.org.uk makes interesting reading – especially the section on energy rated windows.

840,000 cars of the road

If all the 25.6 million homes in the UK replaced their windows with Energy Saving Recommended ones, carbon emissions would be reduced by up to 12.8 million tonnes a year... and every year thereafter. That’s the equivalent to 840,000 cars being taken off the road. And the energy saved by choosing between a 'B' rated window over an 'E' rated one can be as much as (if not more than) the difference between single and double glazing.

For all the talk about energy rated windows, the government has not supported them in the same way as other energy efficient products

But despite all the talk about energy rated windows, the government has not supported them in the same way as other energy efficient products by making them eligible for lower rate VAT yet.

Going to the top

And that’s where Synseal got involved. We could see there was an argument to say energy rated windows should be eligible for lower rate VAT – especially now there’s a way of measuring efficiency. So we contacted our MP. Geoff Hoon is the local MP for Ashfield, the constituency in which Synseal is based. He’s also Leader of the House of Commons and a cabinet member. When we expanded into the Coates Viyella building in 2003, he came to open it for us. And in 2005 we talked to him about the proposed changes to building regulations.

When we first went into his office he talked to us about the long conversation he’d had with John Prescott MP and how he thought he’d influenced the decision about the building regulations. He even went as far to say he thought it had the desired effect. When we asked for his help with the 5 per cent VAT campaign, he thought he could help.

Reward green choices

We know from the latest government poll consumers want to be rewarded for green choices. We want government to add lower rate VAT for A-C rated windows into its current legislation to support a reduction in carbon emissions.

We think we put together a compelling argument, and Mr Hoon thought so too. There’s been much talk about petitions and lobbying government by individuals, companies and industry groups. They all want the same as us: to make A-C rated windows eligible for lower rate VAT. And who knows whether this will lead to a change in legislation? Perhaps Geoff Hoon will tell us next time we meet.

In the last 12 months there’s been a significant shift in people’s attitude towards green issues. The Synseal 5 per cent VAT campaign reflects those changing attitudes. No longer is green just the territory of hippies and eccentrics; green is hip. Green has gone main stream.