The BRC has submitted its comments to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee's inquiry into mobilising action through behaviour change in the context of climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and the environment (e.g. biodiversity, water, waste & the circular economy and air pollution).
The main focus of the inquiry is on behaviour change for climate change and the environment, though not in isolation, as the committee is also interested in the wider conditions needed for people to make changes and the sequencing of related policy measures.
Key highlights from our submission
- The retail industry has been galvanised by the challenge of climate change and has come together through the BRC to develop a roadmap to practically deliver net-zero
- The Climate Action Roadmap describes how the retail industry can decarbonise through action in five key pathways, Pathway 5 is specifically dedicated to helping customers and employees to live low carbon lifestyles
- Consumer choice is key in driving sustainable changes in the market, including innovation and influencing global supply chains
- To drive low-carbon customer behaviour, two key factors are important. The first is consumers’ levels of awareness and caring about climate change (their climate ‘consciousness’) and the second is the barriers that can prevent them from acting on low-carbon intentions
Our recommendations to the Government
- Support public information on climate to drive adoption of low carbon products and lifestyles
- Promote and encourage consumers towards environmentally beneficially change by cutting VAT on green products and services
- Adopt a coordinated approach on future labelling changes to ensure that consumers understand what is behind their low carbon purchasing decision
- Make the UK a global leader in food innovation, driving the development of low carbon products
- Adopt a coherent and coordinated cross-Government approach