London ties consumers to green economy

LONDON, March 10 (UPI) -- Consumer behavior is a key driver in the push for a low-carbon economy because most emissions are tied to their choices, a British official said.

Chris Huhne, British secretary of state for energy and climate change, in a statement said 70 percent of his country's greenhouse gas emissions were linked to consumer behavior.

"So consumers, and the choices they make, will play a huge role in taking carbon out of our economy," he said.

Huhne said British consumers spend collectively on average more than $1 trillion each year and what they choose to spend that money on can make a difference in the environment.

Consumers, the secretary said, need to feel good about the choices they make. "We have to get people thinking green at the critical decision points," he said.

No longer can governments rely on "charitable impulse" to get things done for the environment. He pointed to high gasoline prices as an incentive for better fuel efficiency. Government intervention in Europe, meanwhile, prompted vehicle manufactures to design cars that produce 20 percent less carbon dioxide than they did in 2000.

"It's the 'Field of Dreams' approach," he said, referring to the 1989 U.S. baseball movie drama. "If you build it, they will come."