Change is necessary now more than ever, with rising energy prices, the ever-nearing
approach of the 1.5°C target and what feels like a constant demand on all of us to make
profound lifestyle changes. 

None of us like change, but the present environmental necessity means that it must become
part of our everyday lives. I would suggest that we should now take the time to listen to
each other and begin to map out our journey to a greener future. 

If none of us like change, why do we tend to demonise people who don’t want solar farms on
their doorstep, when both the current Prime Minister and his predecessor called them
‘eyesores and ‘paraphernalia’. Why do we rail against people who don’t want hundreds of
wind turbines hovering over their towns? We often see sustainable change presented
negatively in the media; in the last year we have been unable to avoid the antics of Just Stop
Oil and the disruption that they have caused all over the country. Their actions have angered
millions and been directly linked to the deaths of at least two people. In part thanks to them,
many people’s environmental opinions are tainted by orange paint and tomato soup.
Climate activists are not the only people who should shoulder the blame for anti-green
attitudes, the proposed expansion of ULEZ has enraged people who rely on their cars for
essential travel but won’t be able to afford to use them when the new charge comes into
force. Shoving people out of their cars without providing what many might consider to be a
reasonable alternative further sully the perception of green ideas and ideals. For the reasons
above the environmental agenda has got caught up in the culture wars and has become a
political weapon to be wielded by the main political parties for their own ends.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that, we need to stop, listen, educate and encourage
each other to become more aware of the benefits of conserving our environment, cleaning
our air and caring about our resource use. Only then will we be able to see positive change
in our society.

We could further explore ways to incentivise acceptance more widely. Community Energy
Together (CET) provides a great example of how to do this. The scheme allows people
within the community to invest in solar farms providing shares and guaranteeing a return.
Not only will those individuals benefit from sustainable change, but They will also better
understand the benefits of sustainable development and community empowerment.
My argument is not that we should not promote the benefits of making change for a
sustainable future, but that we should also be involved (where appropriate) in the
developments that will bring about that change so that those of us that are negatively
impacted are not only involved in the design but also share the rewards.
Many sustainable technologies are already mature and ready for deployment and just need
people to understand the role that they can play. Roof mounted PV is one of the cheapest
forms of electricity production in the UK and onshore wind will be providing 30GWp of
energy by 2035.

These opportunities offer jobs, environmental benefits, and cost savings. There is absolutely
no reason not to embrace a green future, but it must be a green future that we have
discussed, agreed upon and our politicians build grown-up policies to deliver.