Latest news with #carbonfootprint
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
The heat pump guide … everything you need to know
Record numbers of heat pumps were installed in the UK in 2024, according to the Heat Pump Association. At just under 100,000, the figure is well below the government's ambitious aim of 600,000 a year by 2028 but is at least edging in the right direction. Even so, it's clear that many more people will need to make the switch from gas boilers to the more carbon-friendly heat pumps if the UK is to meet its net zero goals. The heating and cooling of homes and commercial buildings accounts for 26% of global energy-related emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. In the UK, the National Audit Office reported last year that heating 28m homes created 18% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. So it's probably time for many more of us to understand the steps we can take to lower the carbon footprint of our homes. Heat pumps take heat from outside, make it warmer, and transfer it into a building to provide heating and hot water. Depending on the type, pumps can extract heat from the air, ground or water. They can also work in reverse, absorbing heat from a building to cool it down. It may seem counterintuitive, but at the heart of a heat pump is a refrigerant that flows constantly through the system. The process starts with the refrigerant in liquid form absorbing heat from outside. As its temperature rises, the refrigerant turns into a gas (it's like water evaporating at 100C – but with a refrigerant it happens at far lower temperatures, even subzero). The gas flows to a compressor where its temperature is increased because, put simply, the compression means the molecules have less space so they collide more, releasing heat. It's this higher level of heat that is transferred from the refrigerant gas to a building's heating system – warming water for radiators and the hot water tank. Having given up its heat, the gas is decompressed, and turns back to liquid, allowing the cycle to begin over again. Crucially, this also works efficiently in harsh Nordic climates like Sweden, where heat pump manufacturer NIBE is based and the systems are commonplace. Here are the three main types of heat pump on offer: Air source heat pumpThis is the most common form of domestic heat pump in the UK and, as the name suggests, it uses outdoor air to start the 'refrigeration cycle'. The external workings are contained in a box about the size of two wheelie bins, while inside the property a hot water cylinder is needed. Ground source heat pumpThis is the subterranean version, which makes use of underground heat. Pipes are laid under, say, a lawn or in boreholes and a liquid (mainly a mixture of water and antifreeze) is circulated through them to absorb the heat. The heat is transferred into the building where the heat pump raises the temperature for heating and hot water. Ground source heat pumps are more efficient than air-source pumps but can cost more to install. Exhaust air heat pumpThe third type is the exhaust air heat pump, a ventilation system which is growing in popularity, especially with people living in flats, as they don't require an outdoor unit or ground work, just a simple vent in the wall. Here, the heat pump uses waste heat that it draws in from inside the house, extracting the energy to heat radiators or underfloor heating, as well as a hot-water cylinder. The cold, stale air is then exhausted out of the building through the vent, so the system provides heating, hot water and ventilation, and improves air quality by preventing the build-up of condensation. How long do they last?With regular servicing and maintenance, heat pumps will last, on average, for 15 to 20 years. The switch to heat pumps is mainly focused around decarbonisation, the climate crisis and the drive to net zero. But it could also significantly help reduce air pollution. A study published by the University of York found that gas boilers were responsible for 72% of the nitrogen oxides in central London between 2021 and 2023. Rather than running on fossil fuels such as gas, heat pumps use electricity, which, while currently more expensive than gas, can use more sustainable sources – particularly as more wind and solar farms are being built. Heat pumps also use energy more efficiently than gas and oil boilers, and can be up to six times more energy efficient, in the case of the latest NIBE ground source heat pump. To truly enjoy the benefits of a heat pump, it's essential that you get the right one for your home and that it's properly installed by experts. The website, for example, has a step-by-step guide to heat pump installation, setting out all the considerations. Pretty high on the list will be cost – and it's worth knowing that depending where in the UK you live there are grants available, including £7,500 towards an air and ground source heat pump in England and Wales through the boiler upgrade scheme. In Scotland, the government is offering a home energy grant of up to £7,500, plus an additional £7,500 available as an optional interest-free loan. Another benefit is that no VAT is charged on heat pumps in the UK. You'll need your property to be well insulated and, as heat pumps typically operate at lower temperatures than gas boilers, you might need to increase the size of your radiators so they emit sufficient heat. All houses will need a heat loss survey and inspection of their systems before the heat pump is installed. Michael Dungworth, head of technical at NIBE, says: 'The first thing to consider when planning an installation is finding an MCS-certified installer, who can decide on the best solution that would be right for your property.' The company has been making renewable energy solutions since 1952, and has been at the forefront of heat pump technology, producing ever more efficient units, and innovations such as the exhaust air heat pump, most recently with cooling capabilities. 'At NIBE, our products build on decades of research and development,' says Rick Clarke, product manager at NIBE. 'Our units are highly efficient with low running costs, so they contribute towards a sustainable environment.' NIBE has also recently been awarded Quiet Mark certification for its core product range. 'This highlights our commitment to delivering exceptional indoor climate systems, with minimal disruption to home life,' he says. So whether you want to do your bit for the environment by reducing your carbon footprint, or potentially lower your energy bills, a heat pump could be the solution for you. NIBE combines smart technology with renewable energy to produce energy-efficient solutions for heating your home. Take a look at its full range of heat pumps
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Carbon footprint of Israel's war on Gaza exceeds that of many entire countries
The carbon footprint of the first 15 months of Israel's war on Gaza will be greater than the annual planet-warming emissions of a hundred individual countries, exacerbating the global climate emergency on top of the huge civilian death toll, new research reveals. A study shared exclusively with the Guardian found the long-term climate cost of destroying, clearing and rebuilding Gaza could top 31m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This is more than the combined 2023 annual greenhouse gases emitted by Costa Rica and Estonia, yet there is no obligation for states to report military emissions to the UN climate body. Israel's relentless bombardment, blockade and refusal to comply with international court rulings has underscored the asymmetry of each side's war machine, as well as almost unconditional military, energy and diplomatic support Israel enjoys from allies including the US and UK. Hamas bunker fuel and rockets account for about 3,000 tonnes of CO2e, the equivalent of just 0.2% of the total direct conflict emissions, while 50% were generated by the supply and use of weapons, tanks and other ordnance by the Israeli military (IDF), the study found. Burning fossil fuels is causing climate chaos, with increasingly deadly and destructive extreme weather events forcing record numbers of people to migrate. The Gulf region is among the most vulnerable to extreme weather and slow-onset climate disasters including drought, desertification, extreme heat and erratic rainfall, as well as environmental degradation, food insecurity and water shortages. The research, published by the Social Science Research Network, is part of a growing movement to hold states and businesses accountable for the climate and environmental costs of war and occupation, including the long-term impact damage to land, food and water sources, as well as post-conflict clean-up and reconstruction. It is the third and most comprehensive analysis by a team of UK and US-based researchers into the climate cost of the first 15 months of conflict in which more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, in addition to widespread infrastructure damage and environmental catastrophe. It also provides the first, albeit partial, snapshot of the carbon cost of Israel's other recent regional conflicts. Overall, researchers estimate that the long-term climate cost of Israel's military destruction in Gaza – and recent military exchanges with Yemen, Iran and Lebanon – is equivalent to charging 2.6bn smartphones or running 84 gas power plants for a year. This figure includes the estimated 557,359 tCO2e arising from the occupation-era construction of Hamas's network of tunnels and Israel's 'iron wall' barrier. The killing and environmental destruction of Gaza resumed when Israel unilaterally violated the ceasefire after just two months, but the findings could eventually help calculate claims for reparations. 'This updated research evidences the urgency to stop the escalating atrocities, and make sure that Israel and all states comply with international law, including the decisions from the ICC and the ICJ,' said Astrid Puentes, UN special rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. 'Whether or not States agree on calling it a genocide, what we are facing is severely impacting all life in Gaza, and also threatening human rights in the region, and even globally, due to the aggravation of climate change.' The study, currently under peer review by the journal One Earth, found: Over 99% of the almost 1.89m tCO2e estimated to have been generated between the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and the temporary ceasefire in January 2025 is attributed to Israel's aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. Almost 30% of greenhouse gases generated in that period came from the US sending 50,000 tonnes of weapons and other military supplies to Israel, mostly on cargo planes and ships from stockpiles in Europe. Another 20% is attributed to Israeli aircraft reconnaissance and bombing missions, tanks and fuel from other military vehicles, as well as CO2 generated by manufacturing and exploding the bombs and artillery. Solar had generated as much as a quarter of Gaza's electricity, representing one of the world's highest shares, but most panels, and the territory's only power plant, have been damaged or destroyed. Gaza's limited access to electricity now mostly relies on diesel-guzzling generators that emitted just over 130,000 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, or 7% of the total conflict emissions. More than 40% of the total emissions were generated by the estimated 70,000 aid trucks Israel allowed into the Gaza Strip – which the UN has condemned as grossly insufficient to meet the basic humanitarian needs of 2.2m displaced and starving Palestinians. But the most significant climate cost will come from rebuilding Gaza, which Israel has reduced to an estimated 60m tonnes of toxic rubble. The carbon cost of trucking out debris and then rebuilding 436,000 apartments, 700 schools, mosques, clinics, government offices and other buildings, as well as 5km of Gaza's roads, will generate an estimated 29.4m tonnes eCO2. This is on a par with the entire 2023 emissions generated by Afghanistan. The reconstruction figure is lower than previous estimates by the same research group due to a revision in the average size of apartment blocks. 'This report is a staggering and sobering reminder of the ecological and environmental cost of Israel's genocidal campaign on the planet and its besieged people,' said Zena Agha, policy analyst for Palestinian policy network Al-Shabaka. 'But this is also the US, UK and EU's war, all of which have provided seemingly limitless military resources to enable Israel to devastate the most densely populated place on the planet. This brings home the destabilising [regional] impact of the Israeli settler state and its inseparability from the western military-industrial complex.' The war on Gaza has also provoked bloody regional tensions. The study found: The Houthis in Yemen launched an estimated 400 rockets into Israel between October 2023 and January 2025, generating about 55 tCO2e. Israel's aerial response generated almost 50 times more planet warming greenhouse gases. A previous study found that shipping emissions rose by an estimated 63% after the Houthis blocked the Red Sea corridor, forcing cargo ships to take longer routes. A conservative estimate of emissions from two large-scale exchanges of missiles between Israel and Iran topped 5,000 tCO2e, with more than 80% down to Israel. In Lebanon, more than 90% of the estimated 3,747 tCO2e generated by sporadic exchanges came from IDF bombs, with only 8% linked to Hezbollah rockets. The carbon cost of reconstructing 3,600 homes destroyed in southern Lebanon is almost as high as the annual emissions from the island of St Lucia. The study is based on evolving methodology known as a scope 3+ framework which seeks to capture direct and indirect wartime emissions currently missing from global climate and conflict audits. This can include soil degradation, fires, infrastructure damage, displacement of people, aid, rerouting cargo ships and civil aviation. Researchers relied on open-source information, media reports, and data from independent aid groups such as UN agencies. The true environmental costs are almost certainly higher given Israel's media blockade, with data on razed farmland, desertification, remediation, and fires among other carbon-intense impacts hard to obtain. 'This conflict in Gaza shows that the numbers are substantial, greater than the entire greenhouse gas emissions of many entire countries, and must be included for accurate climate change and mitigation targets,' said Frederick Otu-Larbi, co-author, senior teaching associate at Lancaster Environment Centre and lecturer at University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. 'Militaries need to reckon with the fact that their own national security and operational capacity is being compromised due to a changing climate of their own making,' said Ben Neimark, senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and study co-author. Previous research has found that military emissions rise with spending and buildup. Israel's military budget surged in 2024 to $46.5bn – the largest increase in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Based on one methodology, Israel's baseline military emissions last year – excluding direct conflict and reconstruction climate costs – rose to 6.5m tCO2e. This is more than the entire carbon footprint of Eritrea, a country of 3.5 million people. Yet under current UN rules, reporting military emission data is voluntary and limited to fuel use, despite the fact the climate cost of the destruction of Gaza will be felt globally. The IDF, like most militaries worldwide, has never reported emission figures to the UN. Hadeel Ikhmais, head of the climate change office at the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority, said: 'Wars not only kill people but also release toxic chemicals, destroy infrastructure, pollute soil, air and water resources and accelerate climate and environmental disasters. War also destroys climate adaptation and hinders environmental management. Not counting carbon emissions is a black hole in accountability that allows governments to get away from their environmental crimes.'
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Ryanair is greenwashing to a comical degree
Ryanair 's leadership team are fond of lashing out statistics while brandishing the airline's carbon footprint virtue. During a recent RTÉ interview, the airline's chief financial officer Neil Sorahan proudly declared that in the year to the end of March, Ryanair flew 200 million passengers, the first time a European airline has achieved that figure. The company also saw revenue rise to almost €14 billion. Those worried about the impact of aviation on climate change need not worry, it appears, because according to Sorahan, Ryanair has 'very aggressive targets between now and 2031' to reduce CO2 per passenger per kilometre. They are making 'great strides' in this area, maintained Sorahan, noting that 'we actually saw our CO2 per passenger per km come down from 67g to 66g'. Given the increase in passenger numbers (up 9 per cent last year), Ryanair's carbon emissions have inevitably risen. Sorahan is not worried about that: 'emissions on an absolute basis are up, but on a passenger basis are down. I think that's the key metric that everybody looks at; what you're burning on a passenger basis.' This is greenwashing to a comical degree. It is patently obvious that airlines, despite their focus on emissions reduction and carbon efficiency targets measured by emissions per passenger per km, will not generate overall reductions in emissions if the number of flights dramatically increases, and Europe's aviation industry plans to double its passenger traffic by 2050. It was estimated in 2022 that European airlines needed to reduce air traffic by at least 2 per cent annually between then and 2040 to be in line with targets to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees. READ MORE Ryanair has been repeatedly challenged on the claims it makes about its green credentials. In April, the European sustainable travel organisation Transport & Environment , published its 2024 airline emissions report , identifying Ryanair as the 'most polluting' European airline, with a 9 per cent growth in CO2 emissions from 2023-24. As reported in this newspaper earlier this week, Ryanair has dropped its 'carbon offset' option for passengers and its carbon calculator for flight emissions as 'there was very little interest or uptake from passengers'. In any case, it is nonsense to suggest that CO2 compensation schemes make flying more sustainable. Given the demand for Ryanair's services, passengers are obviously unworried about their own contribution to climate change disaster. Business and environment academic Peter McManners chose as the title for his 2012 book on aviation and climate change Fly and Be Damned and pointed out, 'the rich world's expectations of flying are so deeply ingrained that, on the route to a sustainable society, aviation policy is the most difficult nut to crack'. [ Ryanair dismisses hundreds of reader baggage experiences as misinformed 'hearsay' Opens in new window ] When he wrote that in 2012, Ryanair passenger numbers were almost 80 million. They are delighted with more than doubling that, and the real 'aggressive targets' are not about reducing emissions; they are about increasing further the passenger numbers. Ryanair titles its 2024 sustainability report 'Aviation with Purpose'. This trumpets its investment in '300 Boeing 737-Max-10″, promising '20 per cent less CO2 emissions' and '21 per cent more seats'. The report is led by the projection of a traffic of 300 million passengers by 2034; this is about 'delivering freedom for the citizens and visitors of Europe to fly'. The constant mantra from the aviation sector about 'sustainability initiatives' hides the reality that such gestures will not offset the carbon emitted due to expanding flight numbers. On the same day that Sorahan was interviewed, so too was Michael O'Leary. His mission? To 'scrap the Dublin Airport cap because we're missing out on a lot of growth'. Dublin Airport Authority's own planning application revealed that the lifting of the cap will increase emissions by 22 per cent by 2031, to which Minister for Energy and Transport Darragh O'Brien recently responded, 'we have got to look at amelioration measures that can be taken . . . it's not a question of giving one sector a pass'. Really? [ We are living in an age of unprecedented greenwashing Opens in new window ] The Government's Climate Action Plan for 2025 notes 'it is widely acknowledged that deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will play the greatest role in decarbonising the aviation sector in the short to medium term'. Why is it not acknowledged that less flying would play a greater role? To cap the farce, it was reported in late March in the Business Post that Ryanair (along with Smurfit Kappa and Aer Lingus) have benefited from free 'pollution permits', worth 'tens of millions of euros' from the UK government under its UK emissions trading scheme, as it seeks to prevent big firms 'moving to countries with laxer climate regulations'. The Business Post suggested Ryanair had received 'permits worth about €286 million since 2021' . O'Leary will no doubt get his way, given the contention of O'Brien that the Dublin Airport cap 'does not serve the State'. Those seeking to promote ever more flying are not serving the State either.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Carbon footprint of Israel's war on Gaza exceeds that of many entire countries
The carbon footprint of the first 15 months of Israel's war on Gaza will be greater than the annual planet-warming emissions of a hundred individual countries, exacerbating the global climate emergency on top of the huge civilian death toll, new research reveals. A study shared exclusively with the Guardian found the long-term climate cost of destroying, clearing and rebuilding Gaza could top 31m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This is more than the combined 2023 annual greenhouse gases emitted by Costa Rica and Estonia, yet there is no obligation for states to report military emissions to the UN climate body. Israel's relentless bombardment, blockade and refusal to comply with international court rulings has underscored the asymmetry of each side's war machine, as well as almost unconditional military, energy and diplomatic support Israel enjoys from allies including the US and UK. Hamas bunker fuel and rockets account for about 3,000 tonnes of CO2e, the equivalent of just 0.2% of the total direct conflict emissions, while 50% were generated by the supply and use of weapons, tanks and other ordnance by the Israeli military (IDF), the study found. Burning fossil fuels is causing climate chaos, with increasingly deadly and destructive extreme weather events forcing record numbers of people to migrate. The Gulf region is among the most vulnerable to extreme weather and slow-onset climate disasters including drought, desertification, extreme heat and erratic rainfall, as well as environmental degradation, food insecurity and water shortages. The research, published by the Social Science Research Network, is part of a growing movement to hold states and businesses accountable for the climate and environmental costs of war and occupation, including the long-term impact damage to land, food and water sources, as well as post-conflict clean-up and reconstruction. It is the third and most comprehensive analysis by a team of UK and US-based researchers into the climate cost of the first 15 months of conflict in which more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, in addition to widespread infrastructure damage and environmental catastrophe. It also provides the first, albeit partial, snapshot of the carbon cost of Israel's other recent regional conflicts. Overall, researchers estimate that the long-term climate cost of Israel's military destruction in Gaza – and recent military exchanges with Yemen, Iran and Lebanon – is equivalent to charging 2.6bn smartphones or running 84 gas power plants for a year. This figure includes the estimated 557,359 tCO2e arising from the occupation-era construction of Hamas's network of tunnels and Israel's 'iron wall' barrier. The killing and environmental destruction of Gaza resumed when Israel unilaterally violated the ceasefire after just two months, but the findings could eventually help calculate claims for reparations. 'This updated research evidences the urgency to stop the escalating atrocities, and make sure that Israel and all states comply with international law, including the decisions from the ICC and the ICJ,' said Astrid Puentes, UN special rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. 'Whether or not States agree on calling it a genocide, what we are facing is severely impacting all life in Gaza, and also threatening human rights in the region, and even globally, due to the aggravation of climate change.' The study, currently under peer review by the journal One Earth, found: Over 99% of the almost 1.89m tCO2e estimated to have been generated between the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and the temporary ceasefire in January 2025 is attributed to Israel's aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. Almost 30% of greenhouse gases generated in that period came from the US sending 50,000 tonnes of weapons and other military supplies to Israel, mostly on cargo planes and ships from stockpiles in Europe. Another 20% is attributed to Israeli aircraft reconnaissance and bombing missions, tanks and fuel from other military vehicles, as well as CO2 generated by manufacturing and exploding the bombs and artillery. Solar had generated as much as a quarter of Gaza's electricity, representing one of the world's highest shares, but most panels, and the territory's only power plant, have been damaged or destroyed. Gaza's limited access to electricity now mostly relies on diesel-guzzling generators that emitted just over 130,000 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, or 7% of the total conflict emissions. More than 40% of the total emissions were generated by the estimated 70,000 aid trucks Israel allowed into the Gaza Strip – which the UN has condemned as grossly insufficient to meet the basic humanitarian needs of 2.2m displaced and starving Palestinians. But the most significant climate cost will come from rebuilding Gaza, which Israel has reduced to an estimated 60m tonnes of toxic rubble. The carbon cost of trucking out debris and then rebuilding 436,000 apartments, 700 schools, mosques, clinics, government offices and other buildings, as well as 5km of Gaza's roads, will generate an estimated 29.4m tonnes eCO2. This is on a par with the entire 2023 emissions generated by Afghanistan. The reconstruction figure is lower than previous estimates by the same research group due to a revision in the average size of apartment blocks. 'This report is a staggering and sobering reminder of the ecological and environmental cost of Israel's genocidal campaign on the planet and its besieged people,' said Zena Agha, policy analyst for Palestinian policy network Al-Shabaka. 'But this is also the US, UK and EU's war, all of which have provided seemingly limitless military resources to enable Israel to devastate the most densely populated place on the planet. This brings home the destabilising [regional] impact of the Israeli settler state and its inseparability from the western military-industrial complex.' The war on Gaza has also provoked bloody regional tensions. The study found: The Houthis in Yemen launched an estimated 400 rockets into Israel between October 2023 and January 2025, generating about 55 tCO2e. Israel's aerial response generated almost 50 times more planet warming greenhouse gases. A previous study found that shipping emissions rose by an estimated 63% after the Houthis blocked the Red Sea corridor, forcing cargo ships to take longer routes. A conservative estimate of emissions from two large-scale exchanges of missiles between Israel and Iran topped 5,000 tCO2e, with more than 80% down to Israel. In Lebanon, more than 90% of the estimated 3,747 tCO2e generated by sporadic exchanges came from IDF bombs, with only 8% linked to Hezbollah rockets. The carbon cost of reconstructing 3,600 homes destroyed in southern Lebanon is almost as high as the annual emissions from the island of St Lucia. The study is based on evolving methodology known as a scope 3+ framework which seeks to capture direct and indirect wartime emissions currently missing from global climate and conflict audits. This can include soil degradation, fires, infrastructure damage, displacement of people, aid, rerouting cargo ships and civil aviation. Researchers relied on open-source information, media reports, and data from independent aid groups such as UN agencies. The true environmental costs are almost certainly higher given Israel's media blockade, with data on razed farmland, desertification, remediation, and fires among other carbon-intense impacts hard to obtain. 'This conflict in Gaza shows that the numbers are substantial, greater than the entire greenhouse gas emissions of many entire countries, and must be included for accurate climate change and mitigation targets,' said Frederick Otu-Larbi, co-author, senior teaching associate at Lancaster Environment Centre and lecturer at University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. 'Militaries need to reckon with the fact that their own national security and operational capacity is being compromised due to a changing climate of their own making,' said Ben Neimark, senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and study co-author. Previous research has found that military emissions rise with spending and buildup. Israel's military budget surged in 2024 to $46.5bn – the largest increase in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Based on one methodology, Israel's baseline military emissions last year – excluding direct conflict and reconstruction climate costs – rose to 6.5m tCO2e. This is more than the entire carbon footprint of Eritrea, a country of 3.5 million people. Yet under current UN rules, reporting military emission data is voluntary and limited to fuel use, despite the fact the climate cost of the destruction of Gaza will be felt globally. The IDF, like most militaries worldwide, has never reported emission figures to the UN. Hadeel Ikhmais, head of the climate change office at the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority, said: 'Wars not only kill people but also release toxic chemicals, destroy infrastructure, pollute soil, air and water resources and accelerate climate and environmental disasters. War also destroys climate adaptation and hinders environmental management. Not counting carbon emissions is a black hole in accountability that allows governments to get away from their environmental crimes.'
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
The Woodside boss's attacks on my generation are blatant scapegoating – and we see straight through them
You're likely familiar with the term 'carbon footprint', which measures an individual's environmental impact. The concept communicates to consumers that we play a significant role in limiting the impacts of climate change through small daily personal choices. The carbon footprint has merit, encouraging the use of keep cups, the offsetting of emissions for a long-haul flight, improving our recycling habits, saving the planet one Tupperware container at a time. Yes, little things do add up. We have real impact. When you realise this globally applied term was coined by an advertising firm working for British Petroleum, the landing changes. The firm Ogilvy & Mather created the carbon footprint to deflect from the climate impact of fossil fuel giants and instead place members of the public under the microscope. If you shame a person's habits, you create division and distraction among the class of people threatening to take community action against you. It's as sinister as it is genius. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email On Tuesday, Meg O'Neill, the chief executive of Woodside, attacked young Australians for our 'ideological' stand when it comes to the fossil fuel industry. When speaking at the Australian Energy Producers conference, she said: 'It's been a fascinating journey to watch the discussion, particularly among young people who have this very ideological, almost zealous view of, you know, fossil fuels bad, renewables good, that are happily plugging in their devices, ordering things from [online fast-fashion stores] Shein and Temu – having, you know, one little thing shipped to their house without any sort of recognition of the energy and carbon impact of their actions … So that human impact and the consumer's role in driving energy demand and emissions absolutely is a missing space in the conversation.' As a 26-year-old and a member of generation Z, I am proud to say I have never made a purchase from the fast-fashion stores O'Neill mentions. I will also be the first to admit that I am consuming more than I should be and have made purchases from questionable stores in the past. Acknowledging this flaw is important; we should all be striving to make more environmentally friendly choices. However, pointing out this prime example of a straw man argument is the more pressing point. This is the blatant scapegoating of young people while directly destroying our climate. Meg O'Neill, is it easier to blame young people for 'plugging in their devices' than speak to Woodside's spilling of an estimated 16,000 litres of 'hydrocarbons' off Western Australia's north-west coast into the Indian Ocean just weeks ago? Yes, it may be a 'zealous' view that young people hold in wanting to stop your North West Shelf gas project, a potential 'carbon bomb' that would extend gas production until 2070, both exacerbating the climate crisis and risking ancient First Nations art at Murujuga. I would love to hear you explain how an individual buying a bathmat or earrings online compares with the 74m tonnes of CO2 that were emitted due to the sale and burning of Woodside gas last year alone. While O'Neill thinks the 'missing space in the conversation' is the consumer's role in energy demand, I would argue the real silence in the discussion is how fossil fuel giants and the Albanese government justify approving projects that will drastically affect the planet my generation will inherit, and what part of your moral conscience allows you to blame us for it. This relentless attempt to shift responsibility and divide us is no longer viable. We see through the spin, we can cut through the noise. There are many powerful young people advocating for a better world, one which values our planet more than the millions being funnelled into the bank accounts of big oil and gas bosses who would rather we kept quiet. If that is my ideological view, I'm fine with that. Hannah Ferguson is the chief executive of Cheek Media Co.
