Businesses to help consumers fight climate change

Australian companies joined acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard to unveil ‘Together’, an Australian consumer engagement campaign on climate change that will make it easier for consumers to reduce their CO₂ emissions.

Auspoll findings indicate that 80% of Australians are more willing to act on climate change if it is made easier and cheaper (with only 5% not willing to act). Together partners are committed to delivering and promoting simple, practical solutions that will help people save energy, money and the planet.

The aim of the campaign is to help every Australian reduce their carbon footprint by one tonne over the next three years.

Retailers, banking, media and service sectors from across Australia, Westpac, Origin, NRMA Insurance, SGIO, SGIC, GE, Network Ten, Visy, Australia Post and Man Investments, have united behind this initiative, with more brands set to join throughout 2008.

The coalition also reaches beyond business with active support coming from The Brotherhood of St Lawrence, Sport 4 the Environment and ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability.

The campaign will promote simple products, services and initiatives that result in measurable CO₂ savings. The 'Togetheriser', an online aggregator at www.together.com, will tally the combined take-up of partner solutions, demonstrating actual CO₂ and money savings that the campaign delivers directly.

The campaign is an initiative of The Climate Group, a global, independent non-profit organisation dedicated to building public-private partnerships to find solutions to climate change. It first launched in the UK in 2007 with the help of then Prime Minister Tony Blair. To date, Together solutions in the UK have helped consumers save over 530,000 tonnes of CO₂ and over $200 million on household energy bills. The campaign has also been launched in the US by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

 “Climate change is a global issue that requires a global response. Following the success of Together in the UK and US, we’re thrilled to be bringing the campaign to Australia," Rupert Posner, Australian director of The Climate Group, said.

“If every Australian saves one tonne of CO₂ through the campaign this will cut our greenhouse emissions by 21 million tonnes, equivalent to the annual emissions of all the households in Sydney."