Publication Name

THE CYCLE

KICK THE HABIT

mental writer Crispin Tickell once spelt out his recipe for avoiding danger-

ous climate change: “Leadership from the top, pressure from below – and

an instructive disaster.” Perhaps a combination of the first two elements

may spare us the need for the third.

Once the decision is taken at the highest level (of a country, city or other

group) it can be invaluable to have another senior figure to champion cli-

mate neutrality, addressing senior management and workers alike. “Se-

nior” need not mean a traditionally respectable pillar of society: the term

can include anybody who is widely known and popular. Footballers and pop

stars make ideal champions.

Then comes the stage of assessing the situation by counting total emissions

and analysing their source – making an inventory, in other words. At least

as important is to analyse the options available for reducing them. With

those results it is possible to set priorities and targets. To what extent can we

reduce our own emissions and how much do we have to offset? How long

should it take (Norway had originally set itself a deadline of 2050 and re-

cently moved it to 2030)? Where will policymakers get the biggest bang for

their buck – where should resources and efforts be concentrated to achieve

the best and most visible results? And what yardsticks will be needed to

measure progress towards targets (this question is covered in more detail

below)? And who will guarantee that progress really is being made?

After settling the broad principles, the next stage is to develop a detailed

action plan which puts flesh on the bones of the strategic outline. This plan

will include a timeframe, responsibilities, the targets to be achieved and the

indicators used to gauge progress.

Implementing the plan, the moment when deliberation becomes action,

comes next, and it has to be accompanied by systematic monitoring of the

process. This in turn is followed by evaluation of the results and compila-

tion of a list of suggested improvements, with results documented and re-

ported, so that experience gained of what does (and does not) work is shared

with those who can put it to good use.

Finally, with all that completed, the cycle starts all over again, only this time

incorporating the lessons learnt. Science and technology move on, regula-