Macro-scale issues

This section identifies work underway on a number of wider issues related to carbon. For instance, while climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation are often considered as separate, though complementary, approaches, wider issues such as energy security or fuel poverty present even broader challenges. Another challenge faced is that of behavioural change and in many cases raising awareness generally.

It is important that low carbon behaviour becomes the norm and not the exception. Infrastructure is designed to meet demand from individuals, homes, industry and transport. Reducing demand and increasing efficiency will directly reduce the need for infrastructure, therby its carbon content and the emissions generated by its use.

Selected briefing

1) DECC: The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan Chapter 3 - Transforming our power sector
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2) Sustainable Development Commission: Prosperity without growth
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Prosperity without growth? This document says that the current global recession should be the occasion to forge a new economic system equipped to avoid the shocks and negative impacts associated with our reliance on growth. Ahead of the G20 summit in London, the report calls on leaders to adopt a 12-step plan to make the transition to a fair, sustainable and low carbon economy.

3) UK Government Foresight Programme: Powering our lives
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This is a UK Foresight Report covering, transitions in energy systems in the built environment, behaviours, values and interventions for change, scales of energy systems and security and resilience of future systems.

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Policy & regulation

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Measurement and reporting tools

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Building performance

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Infrastructure performance

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Procurement, clients and ownership

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Generation and storage

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Macro-scale issues