Report suggests ‘carbon jargon’ undermines public support for COP26 initiatives
26 Oct 2021
Eight out of 10 British people surveyed say they are put off from taking an interest in climate action thanks to so-called ‘carbon jargon’.
Yet the new report by E.ON reveals still more than that number would be prepared to be more supportive of initiatives if they were given simpler information.
Commenting on the research, Michael Lewis, CEO of E.ON UK, remarked: "Knowing more is often the key to doing more. We need to make this something people want to do, as well as something they need to do, and this includes simplifying the language we use so people can properly understand the benefits of a cleaner, greener lifestyle.”
Embarrassingly for the Government which is hosting the United Nations COP26 –climate change conference, out of 1,500 people around the country surveyed, only 10% knew what the event was about.
Furthermore, over seven in ten (72%) respondents were unaware of the difference between 'net zero' and 'zero carbon', and more than a quarter did not fully understanding the phrase 'carbon footprint'.
The lack of public understanding by business and people has prompted the company to compile its own Green Glossary, in order to make environmental terminology easier to understand and raise awareness of what business is doing to support green inititaives.
Added Lewis: "We know great things can be achieved when we all do our bit. Together, across Europe, we're responsible for reducing carbon emissions by more than 99 million tonnes a year. That's the same as the amount of energy used by nearly 12 million homes in one year."
To read E.ON's Green Glossary, click here
