UK companies unite to help fight climate change

London, Apr 24: Eight leading companies united to fight global warming by offering British consumers products such as cheaper insulation and low-energy light bulbs to help them cut their emissions of carbon dioxide.

Prime Minister Tony Blair threw his support behind the ''We're in this together'' campaign, aimed at offering ways for people to adopt an environmentally friendly way of life.

''For this country to make an impact on the global framework (against global warming) -- which in the end is the answer to this -- it's important we demonstrate leadership,'' Blair said as he joined executives of the eight companies to launch the drive.

Steve Howard, chief executive of The Climate Group, an environmental organisation leading the campaign, said the goal was to reduce emissions in every British household by at least one tonne over three years -- a total of 25 million tonnes.

Household and personal emissions of carbon dioxide made up about half of Britain's total emissions so cutting them could make a big difference, he said.

Among corporate initiatives announced yesterday, Tesco Chief Executive Terry Leahy said the supermarket chain had halved the price of energy-saving light bulbs in a bid to quintuple sales to 10 million in the coming year.

If the company met its goal, it would save 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking 40,000 cars off the road, he said.

Ian Cheshire, chief executive of home improvement store chain B&Q, said the most effective way for people to cut emissions was to insulate their homes and so the company was halving the price of its two best-selling insulation products.

Insurer Royal & Sun Alliance is offering a new kind of ''eco-insurance'' where a technology box is installed in people's cars to give them information on their driving habits to help them drive in a more efficient way.

Pay TV firm BSkyB said it was introducing smarter technology that saves emissions by automatically switching inactive Sky boxes onto standby overnight.

Mobile operator O2 said it would pay a credit to customers who did not ask for a new mobile phone when they renewed their contract -- saving about 7.5 kgs of carbon dioxide emitted in the production of a typical handset.

British Gas has devised an energy savers' report suggesting measures householders can take to reduce energy consumption; Marks & Spencer is encouraging customers to wash clothes in cooler water and credit card issuer Barclaycard is to launch a new credit card this summer, half of whose profits will go to supporting carbon reduction projects.

Reuters>