Good Energy employees make a PACT with the planet

2 September 2010

Good Energy, the UK’s leading 100% renewable energy supplier, has launched Personal Allowance Carbon Tracking (PACT)  - the world’s first voluntary staff carbon trading scheme – with more than two-thirds of employees signing up.

PACT was developed by WSP Environment & Energy in 2007 and Good Energy is delighted to be joining this pioneering scheme. Good Energy employees who have opted in to the scheme will have their carbon usage monitored on a quarterly basis using a WSP-developed, web-based, tracker tool. Home energy consumption, vehicles owned, daily commute, holidays and other significant journeys taken will all be monitored in a simple programme – the whole process takes around 20 minutes per quarter to complete.

Juliet Davenport, Founder and CEO of Good Energy said: “Reducing our impact on the planet and securing a sustainable energy future for everybody is integral to Good Energy’s vision. We like to think that it is the same for our employees so we’re very proud to have so many of our employees taking part in the WSP’s innovative PACT scheme. It’s a great way to make personal carbon emissions tangible, the result being that we all should reduce our energy consumption. This is another step forward in Good Energy’s continuing commitment to build a 100% renewable future.”

By allowing individuals to track their personal carbon emissions on a regular basis, the scheme encourages people to reduce their energy usage. There is a financial incentive too. Participants have an annual CO2 allowance of 4.5 tonnes (4,500kg), and for every kg under or over the total 5p is either cashed or docked up to the value of £100. So, if you have a footprint of 4.2 tonnes at the end of the year – 300kg credit – you receive a payment of £15.

A PhD study carried out during the initial WSP trial showed that, on average, participants reduced their carbon footprint by around 10% in the first year.

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