How Every Government Can Make Our Planet Greener
Many people on this planet are making efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and live a more sustainable, eco-friendly life. Little by little this is making a small difference but the world is a big place. To significantly reduce CO2 emissions it needs a lot more people to make small yet important changes to their lives.
It also requires the governments of every country to step up and take responsibility. Not only for their part in letting it get to this stage but also in making strides towards providing cleaner, renewable energy and further reductions. With the power they all possess there are a number of actions that must be taken to create a sustainable, greener and happier planet.
Set Targets and Meet Them
The governments in a lot of Western countries have already set timely targets for reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. The UK signed up to European Union targets to produce 15% of its energy through renewable sources by 2020. The eventual aim will be to keep pushing that percentage up, but for the moment it should slowly reduce carbon emissions.
As well as setting targets, governments must meet and exceed them, or be held to account if they don’t. The UK is currently on track to meet its 2020 goal but not every other nation is. They have the power to make great change and must push it through.
Create Affordable Home Improvements
A lot of people would love to make their homes as energy efficient as possible but struggle to afford the costs of making any changes. With many still feeling the effects of the financial crisis it can be hard to pay current bills without the added cost of installing solar panels on the roof.
In order to meet environmental targets energy grants and subsidies are being offered by some energy suppliers and governments. This encourages constituents to create more efficient homes, thus reducing energy usage on a much larger scale.
Widen Access to Renewable Energy
For many homeowners the only way to access renewable energy directly is to install solar panels or wind turbines in their own home or garden. Widening access to renewable energy so it is available to everyone at an affordable price will have a huge impact on where the majority of our power is sourced.
Given a choice many would choose renewable energy over fossil fuels if both were available at a similar price. Governments have the power to set limits and increase access to renewable energy for their populations.
Wake Up To the Benefits
As well as making the earth a greener place these actions will have a knock-on effect benefitting the government in other ways. Investing in renewable energy will create thousands of new jobs which is always a positive after the financial crash. It will also result in lower costs per unit of energy to produce than using fossil fuels once the equipment is in place. Waking up to these benefits should provide the final impetus for governments to make changes for a greener planet.