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About Rebekah Phillips

Rebekah is a senior policy advisor at Green Alliance and leads the Green Living theme. Rebekah has authored numerous pamphlets for Green Alliance, and for external publications. Previously Rebekah led Green Alliance’s work on climate and energy. Prior to joining Green Alliance Rebekah was the Environment and Transport Policy Analyst for BBC News Analysis and Research. Rebekah has also worked for Elsevier Science in Amsterdam, for Landmine Action in Liberia and for Womankind Worldwide.

Government needs a national communications plan for energy efficiency

“[Consumers will] want a joined up experience of the government’s energy policies, regardless of the individual policy mechanisms and their origin.” This quote could so easily have come from the report that Faye Scott and I wrote for Green Alliance … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Beyond nudge, Big Society, Communications, Energy demand | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The rise of the screens: why electricity use keeps increasing

The Energy Saving Trust’s recent report The Elephant in the Living Room shows that our growing use of appliances for home entertainment and computing means that domestic electricity use likely to keep rising – despite increased efficiency in other areas. We are now using … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Energy demand, Research | 2 Comments

The smart meter roll-out: why more green groups need to get involved

Recently DECC released three consultations on the delivery of smart meters to every home in  the country. The first on technical specifications, the second on the code of practice detailing how the installation should take place and the third on … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Energy demand, Policy | 3 Comments

Assessment shows government’s energy efficiency policies at risk of failure

At the heart of the Conservative and Lib Dem agreement to form government is the Coalition Programme which sets out what the government plans to do during its five year term. Now Green Alliance, and four other NGOs-  WWF, RSPB, Greenpeace and Christian … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

RHI to get behavioural makeover

The Cabinet Office “Nudge unit” brought out its report on behaviour change and energy use this Wednesday, buried in a news week dominated by the scandal of phone-hacking and the implosion of the News of the World. Whilst there is … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Beyond nudge, Policy, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Is the Green Deal getting greener?

The Energy Bill has had its second reading in the Commons this week, in a debate that was characterised by an amazing degree of cross-party consensus. Whilst most MPs were arguing over how to make the Bill stronger in one … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Energy demand, Policy | 5 Comments

Designing the Energy Bill for success

Every government comes in with good intentions on energy saving, and leaves having made only a marginal impact on UK energy demand.  This government has ambitions to change that with the Green Deal. Chris Huhne has said it will be … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Beyond nudge, Policy | 7 Comments

Making the green deal water efficient

“Water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink” so states Coleridge in his lyrical poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This is the curse of those attempting to get attention for water efficiency. We live in a country that, … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Energy demand, Policy, Water | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Three free flights with your insulation, Sir?

In today’s Times Chris Huhne was quoted as saying: “We will legislate to allow the energy companies to incentivise owner-occupiers, so if they want to offer the chance of a cruise for two to the Norwegian fjords that’s something they … Continue reading

Posted in Behaviour change, Energy demand, Policy | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

What the channel four documentary got wrong: you don’t have to be an environmentalist to care about global environmental problems

The recent channel four documentary ‘What the green movement got wrong’ managed to categorise those working on reducing the impact of climate change into the tribe labelled ‘environmentalists’.

Posted in Behaviour change, Communications, Politics, Psychology, Public debate | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment