Businesses to sign up 10:10 campaign

Online, September 2, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Energy suppliers urge businesses to sign up to high-profile 10:10 campaign launched earlier today and aimed to encourage individuals and firms to cut their carbon emissions by 10 % during 2010.

Some of the UK's largest energy firms - Centrica, EDF, E.ON and Scottish and Southern - have assured their support to the campaign and vowed to help their domestic and corporate customers sign up to the 10:10 target.

E.ON led the group today launching a major new initiative that targets small businesses with 10:10 energy tracker. The company will provide domestic and small business customers with a new energy-tracking service if they sign up to the 10:10 campaign. The new Online Energy Tracker will provide users with a monthly update on their energy use and inform them whether they are on track to deliver a 10 per cent cut in emissions over the course of the year.

Richard Morley from Envido said "Delivering a 10 per cent cut in carbon emissions within a year is a big challenge for a business, but it is doable."

The rest of the energy firms added to the pledge, British Gas owner Centrica, EDF and Scottish and Southern, are all expected to launch similar initiatives in the coming days as they attempt to encourage customers to sign up to the high-profile 10:10 campaign.

The Government response to 10:10 campaign

The Government has also signaled its support to the 10:10 campaign, launching today the next phase of its domestic energy-efficiency programme. Ed Miliband launched the government's Community Energy Saving Programme, thanks to which energy companies will invest around £350m over the next three years to deliver whole house and whole street energy makeovers to some of the UK's most deprived areas.

Additionally the existing Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) scheme, which requires energy suppliers to fund household carbon reductions, had recently increased its target and reiterated government plans to trial a new "Pay As You Save" green home loan scheme.

Miliband urged businesses and individuals to sign up to the 10:10 campaign arguing that it would send a message to governments around the world that there is support for an international deal to combat climate change. However, the government has unsurprisingly stopped short of signing up wholesale to the ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 10 per cent during 2010.