Consumers in the region say the energy price cap rise will negatively impact their efforts to be more sustainable
UK household carbon emissions increased less than expected in 2021 despite the easing of national lockdown restrictions, according to new research by Accenture.
Accenture’s UK Carbon Consumption Index – which looks at how the nation’s consumption habits play a role in changing carbon emissions – found that UK households’ average weekly CO2 emissions rose by less than 1%, from 315kg in 2020 to 317kg in 2021.
While the marginal uptick in household emissions could suggest that consumers took up more sustainable consumption habits, accompanying analysis of adults across the West Midlands found that a majority believe the rising cost of living will impact their ability to consume more responsibly in the future. Specifically, 67% agreed that the energy price cap rise will negatively impact their efforts to be more sustainable.
Over half of consumers in the region (52%) said they are more likely to prioritise price over environmental factors when shopping because of the rising cost of living compared to just 4% who are likely to prioritise the environment over price.
Respondents across the West Midlands also called out the role of businesses, with over half (51%) agreeing that companies aren’t doing enough to limit carbon emissions in products and services.
Of the steps brands could take to encourage people to shop more sustainably, rewards/incentives for recycling/returning the product were identified as the most effective by those in the region (57%), followed by refill schemes (54%).
Paul Stanley, Midlands lead for Accenture, said: “Over the last few years, the Midlands has shown what it can offer the world when it comes to technology, digital engineering and sustainability. Nowhere was this more evident than at Birmingham Tech Week.
“Now, more than ever, that innovation and talent is required. It’s a positive sign that household carbon emission increases were lower than expected, but clearly when people are under financial pressures, it impacts their ability to make more sustainable choices. The onus is on businesses to innovate and provide more sustainable solutions that are cost effective and drive adoption no matter what the financial pressures people are under.”
Under-30s became ‘carbon conflicted’
Nationwide, the biggest jump in carbon emissions was amongst the under 30s – a 6% increase to 125kg in average weekly carbon emissions per household member. At the same time, two-thirds of 18-24 year olds (65%) said that environmental sustainability is important to them – the highest of any age group surveyed. Overall, average weekly emissions per household member was the highest for the 65 to 74 age group in 2021 at 164kg, followed by 50 to 64 year olds at 156kg.
Hospitality, shopping and transport emissions rise as restrictions eased
Across the UK, ‘housing, fuel, and power’ were still the biggest sources of carbon emissions, making up just over two-fifths of UK households’ CO2 emissions in 2021, though overall emissions in this category dropped.
This drop suggests that consumers may have invested in making their homes more energy efficient, as all products in this category saw significant reductions in their emissions intensity, including gas and electricity emissions, which fell by 18% and 9% respectively. Moreover, expenditure for the ‘maintenance and repair of dwelling’ category went up by 10% in 2021 compared to 2020.
The category which saw the biggest emissions increase was ‘Restaurants and Hotels’, up 90% to 10.8kg. However, this was largely driven by takeaway meals, highlighting another retained behaviour from successive lockdowns.
Other spending categories which saw significant emissions increases were linked to consumers returning to socialising and hospitality, including ‘Transport’, up 20% to 100.6kg, and ‘Clothing and Footwear’, up 21% to 4kg.
Cutting carbon vs cutting costs
Despite challenges around the cost of living crisis impacting consumers’ ability to make greener consumption choices, respondents said they would consider behavioural changes to both cut costs and be more sustainable – although, cost was the more important factor.
Over three-quarters (77%) would cut back on heating to save money compared to under a quarter (22%) said they would do so for environmental reasons. 64% said they would cut down on food waste to reduce costs and under a third (32%) who would do so to be more sustainable.
Toby Siddall, Sustainability lead for Accenture in the UK and Ireland concluded: “Given the challenging economic environment, sustainable products and services need to be positioned as a cost-effective option for the consumer, not a premium choice. Shifting towards more circular and sustainable business models will help businesses achieve this by spurring innovation in products and production efficiency. Businesses can only make sustainability a real force for change by embedding it into the heart of their operations to drive more sustainable consumption among their customers and wider society.”