The issues
Organisations of all types and sizes are facing an unprecedented set of challenges. Please explore the links provided below to find out more, or contact us to discuss how our services can help you and your organisation to find the best response.
Climate change is resulting in UK Government legislation mandating for 80% cuts in carbon emissions by 2050. Short-term this means an 18% reduction on last year's levels by 2020. For businesses and organisations, the costs of implementing the government's policies will mean about a 17% increase in their energy bills alone. Fossil-fuel based energy is becoming an increasingly expensive and controlled resource.
The impacts of climate change are unpredictable but likely to significantly affect demands for goods and services, service delivery, working practices, business continuity, biodiversity and much more. The UK Climate Impacts programme is already working with a range of sectors to assess and mitigate potential impacts (and opportunities) of climate change here in the UK.
Peak Oil: the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security (led by Lord Oxburgh, former chairman of Shell) warns that "a peak in cheap, easily available oil production is likely to hit by 2013, posing a grave risk to the UK and world economy". The warning comes from a broad spectrum of industry (Arup, FirstGroup, Foster + Partners, Scottish and Southern Energy, Solarcentury, Stagecoach Group, Virgin Group, Yahoo). Their report suggests that risks to UK society from peak oil are far greater than those that tend to occupy government risk-assessment, including terrorism. As easily and cheaply available oil supplies fall off, high oil prices will become a long-term trend having profound direct and indirect economic impacts including:
- Increased oil-based input costs for manufacturing and agriculture
- Increased transport costs throughout the supply chain
- Wider macro-economic shocks via higher inflation, balance of payments deficit and reduction of consumer demand
Although the recession has depressed the oil price, this group forecasts that by 2013 (if not before) the price will again be escalating rapidly and assuming an increasing supply-demand gap, that little would restrict the upward movement of the price other than economic collapse.
Other related challenges include but aren't limited to the state of the economy, level of public debt, population, conflicts and so on. We believe that a turbulent future with reduced energy and resource availalability is inevitable, and that it's better to plan for this than be taken by surprise.
We also believe that this future has the potential to be more connected, rewarding and fulfilling than the lives we lead today. Contact us to discuss how we could help you do the same.
