How business sector can lift energy efficiency

The scope is substantial for businesses to save money - and help save the planet - by lifting the energy efficiency of commercial buildings, according to a visiting British expert.

Professor Michael Grubb is chief economist of Britain's Carbon Trust, an independent body set up to recycle some of the proceeds of a climate change levy by working with businesses to help them reduce their carbon emissions and foster the development of low-carbon technologies.

He said that in the UK less than half of greenhouse gas emissions from the business sector came from the large energy-intensive firms. And the lion's share of emissions from the rest arose from buildings rather than manufacturing processes.

The Carbon Trust's analysis suggested the sector could reduce its carbon emissions by about 15 per cent. And energy efficiency programmes it was involved were expected to deliver lifetime savings in energy costs twice the size of the capital costs incurred.

But there were barriers to taking advantage of these opportunities, Grubb said.

Whereas large corporates were increasingly seeing their carbon emissions as a strategic issue, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tended to have more pressing claims on their time money.

Gains could come from retrofitting more efficient heating, cooling, ventilation or lighting during refurbishments.