Creating a Green Britain
Overview
Ecotricity is a green electricity generator and supplier, which founded the green electricity market in 1996 and now powers over 70,000 homes and businesses from its fleet of 55 windmills. It is the only energy company partnered with Oxfam, Christian Aid, and the RSPB.
Ecotricity provides a green outcome without sacrificing people and planet across all its activities.. The company’s ethical business model ensures that the money received in customer bills goes towards building more sources of green energy – harnessing consumer power to kick start green innovation.
Impact
First and foremost Ecotricity aims to change the way energy is made and used in Britain. It’s overall mission is to help create a ‘Green Britain’ encompassing tangible solutions for reducing carbon emissions across Energy, Transport and Food, the three big things which make up 80% of our everyday carbon footprint.
Innovation
Ecotricity is innovating in the areas of sustainable Energy, Food and Transport which is brought to life at the local football club, Forest Green Rovers FC now run by company founder Dale Vince. The company’s Electric Highway, a motorway network of EV chargers across the UK, has made it both technologically and practically viable to drive an Electric Car by breaking down the main barrier to the EV industry – range anxiety.
Ecotricity is also expanding its green energy portfolio – with the Urbine, a vertical axis turbine designed to capture the power of the wind, in places where larger, conventional windmills won’t work.[/one_half_last]
Insight
Introducing green issues to the world of sport has provided the greatest learning curve. After saving the local football club, Dale and Ecotricity got to work introducing the club and its fans to sustainability ideas. This included removing red meat from the menu (no more meat pies), creating an organic pitch, powering the club from the sun (solar panels) and wind (a local Ecotricity windmill) and introducing a fleet of electric cars for the players and manager.
This is inspiring clubs worldwide to visit and takeaway ideas, so kick-starting the green revolution in sport.
Inspiration
Sustainability is written into the core of Ecotricity. Dale Vince is making green behaviour the norm, not an addition to everyday life. The business is truly sustainable in every respect – with an annual turnover of £53 million in 2012 it generates healthy profit margins as well as ensuring a socially and environmentally positive outcome. Ecotricity uses “people power” to drive change. The company balances breakthrough renewable energy technologies with award winning customer service and is investing more per customer than all energy companies into building more sources of green energy – with no added cost to customers’ bills – just the knowledge they’re doing some good… :)[/one_half_last]
Speaker
Helen Taylor
Ambassador
Ecotricity