Adopted at NCWGB AGM 2024

NCW in conference assembled calls on the government to ensure the necessary information, advice and protection is in place for consumers of green products and services. Consumers need more support to do their bit to reduce carbon emissions and protect the planet. Half of U.K. consumers say their concern about climate change has increased over the last 2 years. 73% of consumers believe that a sustainable lifestyle is important because their actions have an impact. But the unfamiliar causes anxiety and consumers lack confidence in business claims.ⁱ Consumers have trouble finding trusted sources of information and are nervous about greenwashing. ⁱⁱ

Consumers have difficulty working out how to keep the cost of greener living down. They say that making such changes is too difficult, too expensive or just confusing. 63% say living sustainably will cost more.ⁱⁱⁱ They overestimate the importance of recycling and underestimate the impact of food and transport. Addressing more affordable energy supply from renewable sources and cheaper, more efficient home energy products is an effective way of meeting consumers’ concerns. This needs to be backed up by having easy access to reliable information on steps to take in fighting the climate crisis – one best ways in getting people to take more action.

For example, making decisions about energy use in one’s household is complex and daunting. But a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 and a ban on the installation of gas boilers in homes (with an exemption for the poorest households) from 2035 means that consumers will need to make major changes to some of their biggest purchasing decisions and grapple with new products and service models in the near future. New products and services need to be effective and easy to understand and come from a low risk supply base, without poor performers or rogue traders. For this, effective regulation and enforcement is needed.

Forty percent are considering purchasing energy-efficient appliances. They need to be reassured about safety issues. For example the charity Electrical Safety First is calling for independent third party safety assessment of electric bikes and e scooters and their lithium ion batteries.^iv

The consumer movement has been very much weakened over the last two decades with the closure for instance of the National Consumer Council, Consumers’ Food Group, Consumers in Europe and Consumer Focus. Trusted consumer supply and back up advice is much needed as new mitigations of climate change come onto the market.

Proposer: Ann Davison, NCWGB Trustee and Individual Member
Seconders: Gwenda Kibble, NCWGB Honorary Vice President and Arnold Pinder, National Independent Consumer Organisation
Submitted by: Ann Davison, NCWGB Trustee and Individual Member

Speech on Consumer Protection ““ Ann Davison

What does it take for people to act against climate change? there are three key factors NCW is addressing:

1. Awareness of the extent of the crisis. NCW is constantly highlighting this including through its social media
2. Reassurance of collective global action. As consumers we need to know that efforts are being made worldwide and we are not alone, crying into the wind. Last year’s climate change resolution focused on pressing the international community to do more and we have since submitted an adapted version to the international council of women seconded by Canada and Malta. We will press the issue again at international meetings in 2025.
3. As consumers we need to know what actions of ours can make a real difference and be reassured that the green goods and services we adapt to are safe, reliable and effective. We are naturally cautious about new propositions. Our new Associate, National Independent Consumer Organisation is helping us with this. It’s a great example of the benefits of having Associates.

Climate change is not a distant threat, but an immediate risk to health. Once again, last year broke climate change records with extreme heatwaves, deadly weather events, such as floods and tornados, and devastating wildfires affecting people around the world.

In 2023, extreme drought lasting at least one month affected 48% of the global land area, while people had to cope with an unprecedented 50 more days of health-threatening temperatures than would have been expected without climate change. Heat related deaths among the over-65s rocketed by 167% in 2023, compared with the 1990s.^v

Governments had previously agreed to act to avoid global temperature rise going above 1.5C, seen as essential to prevent the most damaging impacts. But the world is already likely to breach 1.5C taking us into uncharted territory. Huge swathes of ice are likely to melt. Many grasslands will be converted to desert and sea levels will rise causing mass displacement of people.

Governments agreed at COP28 last year to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. But in fact, CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are projected to reach a new high in 2024 at 37.4bn tonnes, up 0.8% from 2023, according to research by the international Global Carbon Project team.

COP29 is meeting now amid arguments over financing green measures. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says that all countries should bring forward their net zero plans by a decade. We are represented there by the Portuguese Women’s Platform, fellow member of the International Council of Women and Dr Husna Ahmad, member of NCW.

There are significant opportunities for win-win solutions that can combat climate change and improve health. For example, supporting nature, planting trees and protecting green space, insulating poor housing to tackle fuel poverty as well as reducing emissions, reducing food waste and saving money, using public transport, safer walking and cycling initiatives. But to go beyond this, consumers need more help for example with the complex issues of heating our homes. Arnold Pinder of NICO will speak to this now.

The decisions we make today will determine the severity and extent of climate impacts inherited by the next generation.

i Mintel https://www.mintel.com/insights/consumer-research/consumer-attitudes-towards-sustainability/#:~:text=Disruptions%20to%20global%20food%20supply,and%20reducing%20usage%20and%20expenditure.
ii https://business.yougov.com/content/49572-british-attitudes-towards-sustainability-on-world-environment-day=2024
iii https://www.bain.com/insights/what-do-consumers-really-want-ceo-sustainability-guide-2024/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0aaaaaCxy-REE3015tcPOa1GeGTyghprqX
iv Battery Safety campaign | Electrical Safety First

Speech on Consumer Protection – Arnold Pindar, National Independent Consumer Organisation (Previously: National Consumer Federation) re Climate Change

Firstly, I am delighted that our consumer organisation has joined the National Council of Women as an Associate Member. We look forward to working together on areas of mutual interest.

Climate change is an immediate area on which we can cooperate, supporting activities to ensure net zero goals are achieved and that consumers are protected to ensure that they do not suffer from inadequate goods and services, or poor workmanship, or from rogue traders.

Since its inception in 1963 our consumer organisation has had a focus on grassroot consumers. For many years we supported local consumer groups as they fought to protect their local communities from unsafe products and over-pricing. At one time there were over 100 local consumer groups in the UK but as product safety has improved, they have gradually faded away. About six years ago we refocussed ourselves onto “The Home”, particularly the safety of products and services that have become so much more complex as digital markets have grown. We are now looking at the impact and potential dangers for consumers from artificial intelligence: Noting, of course, that there are many benefits from these technological developments.

Taking “The Home” as our focus quickly drew us into climate change issues. We held two Consumer Congresses 2020 and 2023 to deal with climate change. Consumer Congress is a mechanism to bring together Government, Businesses, Consumer Organisations and other interested parties to discuss and make recommendations to support consumer interests in key areas. Focussing on “The Home” has allowed us to consider energy saving in our homes. There are in the order of 29 million homes that need retrofitting to make energy savings by 2050 according to the UK Green Building Council. Roughly one fifth of UK’s total carbon emissions come from residential properties. Hence, if we can be successful in reducing these emissions, it will contribute significantly to zero carbon targets. Of more immediate importance: It will also contribute significantly to cost living savings: Reducing the cost of heating our homes.

Ann, in proposing this resolution has described the three key factors that are a priority for the National Council of Women, namely:

• Raising awareness of the extent of the climate crisis
• The reassurance of collective global action, and
• What action we can take that will make a real difference and help us along the path to achieve our climate goals.

In seconding this resolution, I want to concentrate on the third key factor: Taking action to help us along the path to net zero.

We should expect a lot from government in support of improvements in energy saving in the home. But, we cannot expect government to support and directly fund energy saving initiatives to all the many millions of homes that need improvement. Government needs to concentrate on the disadvantaged that do not have the resources to help themselves. Grants to the wider community will help but with such a huge undertaking, we need to make it easier for those with some resources themselves to make best use of those resources, to reduce their energy costs and to contribute to the climate goals.

We also need to ensure that those taking initiatives to reduce their energy emissions are protected. This needs action at both national and local levels. We can contribute to this and would like to work with the NCW to enhance consumer protection whilst achieving these goals.

So, we are refocussing our National Independent Consumer Organisation to do just that:

• To work with other national and local organisations, especially local climate change groups, to provide support and education for them to work with their communities.
• To work with national enforcement agencies and local Trading Standards Departments to ensure consumers installing energy saving systems are protected from inadequate goods and services, poor workmanship and rogue traders.

It is important that organisations such as ours keep up pressure on those in authority with the power to accelerate progress, to ensure we meet our zero carbon targets, whilst also taking care to ensure that adequate protections are in place for these improvements to be sustainable. It is essential for consumers to have confidence that they will benefit from energy-saving initiatives and will not suffer harm from poor performance.

Hence, I urge you all to support this resolution and for us all to do our bit to meet the zero carbon goals.