The workings of the CRC Energy Efficiency scheme were quietly revised yesterday during the spending review. Now, instead of offering "cashback" to organisations that are leading the league tables in energy reduction, the scheme will effectively be a flat taxation system on carbon emissions. The revenue raised will contribute about £1bn to the enormous gaping hole in public finances, and there's no doubt it's needed, but it has changed a scheme designed to reward those prepared to go the extra mile with one where it's more likely that the minimum will be done.
Carbon emissions will simply become a cost of business, to be absorbed like other business costs. And what costs? PwC has calculated that for business with an energy bill of £1m. the loss of incentives will increase costs by around £76,000 per year, increasing to £114,000 per year by 2015.
Yet more SOBER-ing news. (How thrilled was Mervyn King to have come up with that one?)
Edited to add: Chris Huhne defends the change via Businessgreen.com
Thursday 21 October 2010
Awards galore!
On to happier and less controversial things!
I generally like awards ceremonies (especially when we win of course), but there's generally pretty good food, and at least a B-list comedian - think Mock the Week sort of standard. I don't tend to get quite as sozzled these days as I used to back in my heady youth, although I'm always up for a party. The Green IT magazine awards will take some topping though - we ended up at the barracks of the Grenadier Guards next to Buckingham Palace wielding dress swords at 2 a.m. Oddly enough I was wearing the same dress at the DM awards last Thursday, maybe it's a lucky dress...
We had a real purple patch last Thursday when we picked up not only the Document Manager Award for printer product of the year but also the BOSS federation award for Environmental manufacturer of the year. What a great result!
I was at the Document Manager awards and we were thoroughly entertained by comedian Adam Bloom, and almost as thoroughly entertained on the train back to Reading by an extraordinarily inebriated Australian from Ericsson who had been wildly celebrating the end of a major project at the Tate Modern with what sounded like the entire company.
I generally like awards ceremonies (especially when we win of course), but there's generally pretty good food, and at least a B-list comedian - think Mock the Week sort of standard. I don't tend to get quite as sozzled these days as I used to back in my heady youth, although I'm always up for a party. The Green IT magazine awards will take some topping though - we ended up at the barracks of the Grenadier Guards next to Buckingham Palace wielding dress swords at 2 a.m. Oddly enough I was wearing the same dress at the DM awards last Thursday, maybe it's a lucky dress... We're shortlisted for CRN vendor of the Year and now also Thames Valley Business of the Year - both of which are on 18th November, so fingers crossed for another great double!
On the subject of viral videos
This blog has been quiet for a little while. One of the reasons for this is to do with an online video that was released by 10:10.
Regarding that I can only say the following at this time:
Kyocera Mita has supported the 10:10 campaign because we share its ambition to reduce carbon emissions. However, we don't support the "No Pressure" video and are dismayed by any suggestion that we might have been involved in its production; in fact we had no knowledge of its content until it appeared online. We consider that 10:10 made a serious error of judgement in tis choice of creative approach, which is totally at odds with the inclusive and positive attitude that has been the hallmark of its other activities. 10:10 has acknowledged its mistake, withdrawn the video and issued an apology. We have been meeting with 10:10 to seek assurances about its motivation and future creative approach and are evaluating our relationship with the organisation.
Regarding that I can only say the following at this time:
Kyocera Mita has supported the 10:10 campaign because we share its ambition to reduce carbon emissions. However, we don't support the "No Pressure" video and are dismayed by any suggestion that we might have been involved in its production; in fact we had no knowledge of its content until it appeared online. We consider that 10:10 made a serious error of judgement in tis choice of creative approach, which is totally at odds with the inclusive and positive attitude that has been the hallmark of its other activities. 10:10 has acknowledged its mistake, withdrawn the video and issued an apology. We have been meeting with 10:10 to seek assurances about its motivation and future creative approach and are evaluating our relationship with the organisation.
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