Reduce Your Dependency on Fossil Fuels

Why you should reduce dependence on fossil fuels

According to the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget Advice, most direct emissions in buildings result from the use of fossil fuels for heating and other operational activities. Reducing your organisation’s dependency on fossil fuels is essential on your journey to net zero.

Energy sufficiency

Although progress has been made in creating more energy-efficient equipment, these improvements are often offset by the absence of any policies to promote sufficiency. For instance, while vehicles now tend to use less fuel, the overall increase in travelled distances maintains annual fuel consumption at a high level. Energy Sufficiency is an essential part of the energy transition toward Net Zero and requires rethinking the fundamentals of what living in society is about.

Further resources on energy sufficiency

• Negawatt provides more information on energy sufficiency and their scenario to reach net zero by 2050
• Energy sufficiency explained: YouTube video by Negawatt

Retrofit and Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings

Installation of green energy sources

Low or zero carbon technologies that generate electricity, heat or both with low or no carbon dioxide emissions are vital to meet net zero. In assessing the benefits of low and zero carbon energy sources for historic buildings, you will need to consider:

• Does it suit the particular building and use?
• What are the carbon reduction benefits?
• Will the potential savings exceed the whole-life energy costs?
• Can the system be fitted safely without significantly impacting the building and its historic fabric?
• What will be the visual impact on the setting of the building or heritage asset?
• Are there any planning controls that affect your choice and positioning of the installation?

More themes to help your organisation towards Net Zero