Less stick more carrot

Namely the government trying to tackle a complex problem with over-simplistic methods; the environmental lobby not addressing the general public or the effects of our present legal and procurement systems for the adoption of greener methods; and our industry presenting the combination of this and extra costs as a total stumbling block.

We need a complete re-alignment of positions and attitudes in which firstly the environmental lobby starts to lambast the consumer as hard as the producer, pointing out the unsustainability of such things as the current use of cars and the absurdity of heated conservatories.

Secondly the government accepts that corresponding consumer legislation must be introduced and that there needs to be a (probably temporary) statutory limitation of civil actions brought as a result of the use of inherently less safe or lifestyle-changing greener methods, such as ammonia chillers or super-insulation.

Thirdly our industry needs to concentrate on improving the reliability and adequacy of products, such as circuit boards and heat exchangers, whose failure prevents the use of domestic condensing boilers by intelligent but wary installers; and the reliability and adequacy of calculation methods, such as a prediction method for building energy consumption.

None of these shifts lead to additional confrontation as they effectively reduce the number of sticks waved and increase the number of carrots dangled. Further, all three points would gain ‘street cred’ through presenting a more co-ordinated front as the current confrontational approach, and self-evidently unbalanced views, cause most people outside the industry to ignore all of them unless they legally have to take notice.

John Moss, consultant to Arup R&D