TimWebb |
Dear all
I am a journalist at The Observer, who writes mainly about energy and transport. We’re looking to do a news feature this weekend on Crags. I’ve seen the article in the International Herald Tribune which was very interesting. Crags have not really been covered much in the UK press, and I think they deserve to be.
I’d like to speak to Crag members about how the groups work.
Questions like:
How do the groups decide what rules to set?
How do members reduce their carbon footprint?
What happens to members who don’t?
How has the movement grown in the last 12 months?
Also, any new developments, like this month’s launch of the Big Green Challenge, would also be of interest.
My work email is tim.webb@observer.co.uk. My telephone number is 0207 713 4239.
I look forward to speaking to you
Tim
Some answers ...
david
Hi Tim,
I’m not sure if this is too late for you, but here are some answers to some of your questions.
How do the groups decide what rules to set?
It’s just a process of gradual negotiation, and the time it takes can vary. If members have similar values and initial footprints, then it can all be sorted in one meeting. In other cases, it can take several meetings – and this happens especially where members have work commitments (to long commutes and flying) or family overseas.
The basic framework is set out in the CRAG guide, whereas the groups themselves decide on the allowances, the financial penalty/reward system (ie the carbon price) and some aspects of footprinting that are under debate (eg. how to count green electricity, or whether to include public transport, or food). Some groups have decided on individually different allowances to take account of different circumstances. On price, most have gone for ~4p/kgCO2, but others choose not to charge at all in the first year, at least. A recurring theme is that members tend to feel less comfortable with receiving financial rewards for being under target, than they do with paying penalties. As a result, funds usually go to charities or offsets, rather than under-target individuals.
How do members reduce their carbon footprint?
Well, in the end it’s down to the individual to make those choices on the basis of the size and makeup of their footprint. Usually, flights make up a very large proportion, so members can make large initial cuts just by changing their transport choices. For heating and electricity, the focus has been on increasing efficiency eg. by improving home insulation, or installing electricity monitors. So, cuts in the first few years can be large, mostly using behavioural change or efficiency gains. As targets get lower, it is likely there will be more emphasis on technological changes.
What happens to members who don’t?
They don’t disappear! No, seriously that really depends on the group rules. In some cases members decide that some parts of their footprints are very important to them (esp. flights for “love miles”), and they come in over their target. They then pay for the overshoot according to the price decided by the group, into its fund. In a sense, it doesn’t matter if several people are over their allowance, so long as the group as a whole meets its quota. Normally, over-emitters seem to be balanced by those who come in well under the targets.
Its important to emphasise that PCAs are a flexible system: the individual is given an overall allowance, but they have the choice of how to spend it. They can even overshoot (so long as they can afford it), as well as being rewarded for undershooting. The virtue of the system is that it keeps the group (or the nation, or globe) within an overall budget whilst providing flexibility to individuals, taking account of their personal circumstances.
How has the movement grown in the last 12 months?
In 2006, there were around 7 fully active UK groups. By the end of 2007, this has doubled to 14, and there are a further 15 in the process of setting up. Most surprising and gratifying has been the uptake of CRAG overseas: there are several groups starting up in the US and Australia & New Zealand, and one in Canada. Groups made up of employees in several businesses have also emerged in 2007.
Also, any new developments, like this month’s launch of the Big Green Challenge, would also be of interest.
We have a group beavering away on a BGC application as we speak!
All the best, David.