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The UK Government announced in 2020 its ‘Ten Point Plan’ for a green industrial revolution, which includes a challenging target to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028. Balancing electricity supply and demand locally is key to the success of achieving this target. This paper uses a natural experiment approach to gather early insights into the change in energy use, indoor temperature and relative humidity profiles before and after installation of smart ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) and smart controls in nine social housing dwellings (5 bungalows, 4 flats) located in a socially-deprived area of Oxford (UK). The GSHPs replaced night-storage heaters and integrate smart controls to optimise heat production in line with outside weather and resident preferences. Indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity were continuously monitored at 15’ intervals using blue-tooth enabled data loggers across the nine dwellings. In a subset of two dwellings, electricity use was monitored remotely using CT loggers from October to December 2020. Household surveys were conducted to establish the household characteristics, socio-demographics and the way residents heat their home. No correlation was observed between actual annual energy costs (self-reported) and EPC ratings. Indoor temperatures were found to be more stable across the nine dwellings after installation of heat pumps. Despite having similar size, number of occupants and occupancy patterns, there was wide variation in the range of indoor temperatures measured across the sample. Post-heat pump installation bungalows experienced higher increase in indoor temperature as compared to flats, with mean indoor temperatures of over 25°C observed in mid-terraced bungalows, due to improved air-tightness as a result of cavity wall insulation, constant heating and limited window opening. Smart controls were found to be regularly used by residents to easily increase the heating set point temperature to overcome the low output

An analysis of faulting in the late Miocene volcanic rocks of Banks Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand, shows that the formation of the volcanic edifice was largely controlled by NE-SW-striking dextral-oblique strike-slip faults. The data show a variable component of west-east-or NW-SE-oriented shortening and north-south or NE-SW extension. Synvolcanic faults reactivated Cretaceous normal faults and are interpreted to have formed a local pull-apart basin that controlled volcanism. Further east, the geometry of Akaroa Harbour is controlled by a north-south-striking oblique reverse fault. Limited fault-slip data collected from sub-recent loess deposits are not significantly different from the data collected in the volcanic rocks and appear to show that the kinematic field did not change significantly over the last c. 10 Ma. The overall kinematic field causing the recent series of earthquakes in the greater Christchurch region is also not fundamentally different from the one that controlled the eruption of the volcanic rocks. We conclude that the inherited Cretaceous faults controlled the development of the late Miocene volcanism on Banks Peninsula and largely provided a major anisotropy along which the recent faults ruptured., AuthorCount:2

In 2019, the UK Government and the devolved administrations committed to achieving the target of Net Zero by 2050, based on the recommendations of the UK’s formal advisory body (Committee on Climate Change, 2020). It is now widely recognised that this will require major reductions in the carbon emissions of the general SME population. There are more than 5.9 million small and medium-sized enterprises in the four nations, which employ 16.8 million people and account for an estimated £2.3 trillion in turnover (approximately 52% of the total for UK private sector businesses) (BEIS, 2020). While the environmental footprints of individual firms may appear relatively insignificant, it is not possible to ignore the aggregate impact of such a large component of our economic landscape. SMEs can also have an important indirect influence on climate mitigation through their influence on other actors, including suppliers, customers, and other organisations (Parag and Janda, 2014). There has been a step-change in public and private sector involvement in this area in the last few years, signalled by the launch of many new local, regional, and sectoral initiatives. However, it is not clear whether the current policy mix will be sufficient to meet the sheer scale and complexity of the challenge. While this report focuses on Net Zero, much of evidence presented is equally applicable to other important environmental issues, such as waste management and air quality. We begin with a brief review of recent policy developments. This is followed by an overview of the more promising types of tools andapproaches, with practical examples and indicative sources. We examine explanations for the failure or under-performance of these interventions, which are often analysed in terms of discrete ‘barriers’ and ‘drivers’, and indicate why it has become necessary to move beyond this conventional framing. We then map out six key evidence gaps in relation to: data; support; intermediaries; values; COVI

This paper examines ‘green’ start-up ventures and other forms of eco-innovation in which SMEs play an active role. It reviews recent evidence on entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives that address specific environmental challenges, including the Climate Emergency. A companion report (ERC SOTA Review no. 51, July 2021), focuses on the closely related issue of improving environmental performance in the general SME population.

This paper explores a radically different way of facilitating energy and environmental initiatives in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In terms of energy policy, smaller firms in Europe are exempted from most of the major fiscal and regulatory mechanisms that are applied to larger organisations. Policies to reduce energy demand and associated carbon emissions in SMEs are largely based on providing incentives, such as face-to-face support and grants for energy efficiency in buildings. Energy advisors are therefore key intermediaries, providing advice and encouraging the uptake of low carbon technologies and practices by SMEs. Previous studies have found that advisors often find it difficult to engage effectively with SME owners and managers, and that traditional ‘win-win’ messaging can have limited impact, resulting in implementation problems such as under-investment in energy-saving technologies, reluctance to adopt new environmental practices, and a tendency to revert to previous ways of operating once the incentive is removed. Recent research also suggests that SME owners’ and managers’ personal values play an important mediating role in their response to environmental issues, acting in combination with more established factors such as educational background, access to resources and the views of customers and suppliers. The implication is that policy interventions in this area could be delivered in more cost-effective ways if accompanied by a more nuanced, values-based approach to engagement. This paper reports findings from ‘Growing Greener’ a UK multi-disciplinary project that aims to equip advisors and other types of intermediary with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need in order to incorporate a values-based approach into their existing interactions with SMEs. It opens with an overview of the policy context and a brief overview of the relevant research literature. The main section exp

Collectively, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make a significant contribution to carbon emissions. Transformative changes are needed to achieve Net Zero amongst the SME community, presenting policymakers and practitioners with a complex and largely unresolved set of challenges. In this paper we investigate the unexploited potential of human values in facilitating these changes, with a particular focus on the role and experiences of specialist intermediaries, such as business advisors, as agents of change. The paper reports on four linked, transdisciplinary research projects, which tested and validated a values-based intervention in collaboration with businesses and advisors, designed to promote more effective, long-term journeys towards Net Zero. Our study connects research evidence on SME support with key insights from values literature, including the emerging concepts of values practices and values work. We discuss outcomes from the four projects, and the broader implications for research, policy, and practice.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key actors in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Their aggregate emissions are significant, and they are disproportionately affected by climate impacts, including extreme weather events. SMEs also play a vital role in shaping the environmental behaviours of individuals, communities, and other businesses. However, these organisations have been largely neglected by climate policies across all levels of government. A series of global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, war in Europe and the Middle East, and energy price spikes, have posed an existential threat to millions of SMEs, while also acting as a catalyst for the reconfiguration of the social contract between business, society and the state, both temporary and more long-term. In this article, we make the case for increased focus on the governance of SME decarbonisation to address this turbulent context. We outline key challenges facing public policymakers and other governance actors, compare strategic options, identify evidence gaps that hinder effective interventions, and highlight implications for research. In doing so we set out key elements of a renewed social contract for business, society and state relations.

In 2019, the UK Government and the devolved administrations committed to achieving the target of Net Zero by 2050, based on the recommendations of the UK’s formal advisory body (Committee on Climate Change, 2020). It is now widely recognised that this will require major reductions in the carbon emissions of the general SME population. There are more than 5.9 million small and medium-sized enterprises in the four nations, which employ 16.8 million people and account for an estimated £2.3 trillion in turnover (approximately 52% of the total for UK private sector businesses) (BEIS, 2020). While the environmental footprints of individual firms may appear relatively insignificant, it is not possible to ignore the aggregate impact of such a large component of our economic landscape. SMEs can also have an important indirect influence on climate mitigation through their influence on other actors, including suppliers, customers, and other organisations (Parag and Janda, 2014). There has been a step-change in public and private sector involvement in this area in the last few years, signalled by the launch of many new local, regional, and sectoral initiatives. However, it is not clear whether the current policy mix will be sufficient to meet the sheer scale and complexity of the challenge. While this report focuses on Net Zero, much of evidence presented is equally applicable to other important environmental issues, such as waste management and air quality. We begin with a brief review of recent policy developments. This is followed by an overview of the more promising types of tools andapproaches, with practical examples and indicative sources. We examine explanations for the failure or under-performance of these interventions, which are often analysed in terms of discrete ‘barriers’ and ‘drivers’, and indicate why it has become necessary to move beyond this conventional framing. We then map out six key evidence gaps in relation to: data; support; intermediaries; values; COVI

Collectively, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make a significant contribution to carbon emissions. Transformative changes are needed to achieve Net Zero amongst the SME community, presenting policymakers and practitioners with a complex and largely unresolved set of challenges. In this paper we investigate the unexploited potential of human values in facilitating these changes, with a particular focus on the role and experiences of specialist intermediaries, such as business advisors, as agents of change. The paper reports on four linked, transdisciplinary research projects, which tested and validated a values-based intervention in collaboration with businesses and advisors, designed to promote more effective, long-term journeys towards Net Zero. Our study connects research evidence on SME support with key insights from values literature, including the emerging concepts of values practices and values work. We discuss outcomes from the four projects, and the broader implications for research, policy, and practice.

This paper examines ‘green’ start-up ventures and other forms of eco-innovation in which SMEs play an active role. It reviews recent evidence on entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives that address specific environmental challenges, including the Climate Emergency. A companion report (ERC SOTA Review no. 51, July 2021), focuses on the closely related issue of improving environmental performance in the general SME population.

This paper explores a radically different way of facilitating energy and environmental initiatives in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In terms of energy policy, smaller firms in Europe are exempted from most of the major fiscal and regulatory mechanisms that are applied to larger organisations. Policies to reduce energy demand and associated carbon emissions in SMEs are largely based on providing incentives, such as face-to-face support and grants for energy efficiency in buildings. Energy advisors are therefore key intermediaries, providing advice and encouraging the uptake of low carbon technologies and practices by SMEs. Previous studies have found that advisors often find it difficult to engage effectively with SME owners and managers, and that traditional ‘win-win’ messaging can have limited impact, resulting in implementation problems such as under-investment in energy-saving technologies, reluctance to adopt new environmental practices, and a tendency to revert to previous ways of operating once the incentive is removed. Recent research also suggests that SME owners’ and managers’ personal values play an important mediating role in their response to environmental issues, acting in combination with more established factors such as educational background, access to resources and the views of customers and suppliers. The implication is that policy interventions in this area could be delivered in more cost-effective ways if accompanied by a more nuanced, values-based approach to engagement. This paper reports findings from ‘Growing Greener’ a UK multi-disciplinary project that aims to equip advisors and other types of intermediary with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need in order to incorporate a values-based approach into their existing interactions with SMEs. It opens with an overview of the policy context and a brief overview of the relevant research literature. The main section exp