The 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact:steps on the transition pathway towards a low carbon world

This briefing reviews progress that was made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland, UK over 1 – 12 November 2021. The context of the global climate change challenge is outlined, along with the aspirations of the major participating international groups. An overall balance sheet is provided that gives an assessment of the achievements and disappointments in the outcomes of COP26. This assessment sets a backdrop to what needs to be achieved when the Parties next meet at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022 to address both immediate and longer-term climate change mitigation, adaptation and climate finance

Energy-efficient cooking systems, food preparation facilities, and human diets

This thesis aims at identifying the opportunities for saving energy, which are available to those working within the final link of the UK food system (i. e. at, or in relation to, the points of consumption). Substantial prospective savings exist, because relatively little attention has, as yet, been given to energy-thrift in food-preparation facilities. Within the food-service industry, cooking systems are characterised by high thermal capacities, excessive external surface temperatures and poorly-designed control systems. Catering staff, who use such appliances, are rarely trained to use energy wisely when preparing foods, and kitchens (and their associated dining facilities) tend to be designed without sufficient regard to energy-thrift. Similar problems prevail in domestic kitchens, but to a lesser extent because the cooks there usually pay (or contribute towards) the fuel bills. However, manufacturers still provide household appliances, which are unnecessarily energy-profligate. Furthermore most people have insufficient knowledge of the nutritional suitabilities and the primary-energy costs of their diets. Thus a major educational need exists, which must be satisfied if industrialised food systems are to become more energy efficient. This thesis attempts to make a contribution to this requirement, by analysing cooking systems, food-preparation facilities, kitchen operatives, and human diets from an energy-thrift perspective. Long-term savings (i. e. those achieved as a result of implementing the recommendations within a 15-year period) of approximately £1O p. a. (at 1987 prices) are predicted, although this could be increased substantially if Britons adopt more energy-efficient, yet nutritionally-balanced, diets

Designs, thermal performances and other factors concerning cooking equipment and associated facilities

Cooking appliances are notoriously wasteful of energy. The present survey and investigations outline the history and behaviours of the main forms of cooking equipment available and indicate the energy efficiencies of the various designs. Improvements regarding equipment design, cooking techiques and consumer education are suggested from an energy-thrift perspective.

Monitoring Energy Consumption in Home Cooking and Influencing Consumers to Save Energy

This research was carried out as part of a two-year study funded by DGXVII of the EC and the UKDETR in association with the TTS Institute (Finland). The general context of the research was that of reducing the energy consumption of the existing stock of domestic electric cooking appliances by influencing consumer behaviour at the points of use. The study sought to clarify the potential for influencing consumers to save energy when cooking, regardless of their food choices/diets or indeed the available cooking equipment. For this purpose, a cooking-specific information pack was developed to provide consumers with detailed and reliable information about cooking appliances, the energy consumption of cooking practices as well as energy-saving tips. A literature search was undertaken to evaluate the previously published information/advice regarding households energy-wise: energy efficiency in general and cooking appliances in particular. Most information campaigns (and the associated material), addressing household energy use, have focused primarily on space heating. Although some advice on cooking practices has been made available, the published energy use information usually lacked specific examples and some inaccuracies and ambiguities were evident. This suggested that the underlying quantitative consumption data were weak or non-existent. The published literature was also reviewed to assess food consumption habits in Great Britain. In general, the consumption of food in the home has declined over the 20 years to 1995. There are significant seasonal variations in the amount of food consumed within the home. Information about the types of meal prepared at home is not well documented. There is some evidence from a small number of studies (some regional and some national) of a conventional behaviour pattern with respect to food preparation and meal preferences. Food preparation tasks tend to be done predominantly by women, and `traditional' meals (e.g. a roast dinner) are usually preferred when cooking for guests. One recent study concluded that the sociology of food preparation remains unexplored. Two questionnaire surveys were therefore undertaken: (i) a survey of food choices and meal preparation practices, and (ii) a one-week diary of home cooking whereby the participants recorded details of the food prepared/eaten in their homes. As a result, an understanding of the frequency of cooking appliance use and the frequency of meal preparation was obtained, from which a classification of meals based on cooking duration was defined.Non peer reviewe

Dynamics of Energy Use in UK Households : End-use monitoring of Electric Cookers

This study was funded by DGXVII of the EC and the UK DETR. It commenced in January 1997 and was completed in January 1999. The general context of the research was that of reducing the energy consumption of the existing stock of domestic cooking appliances by influencing consumer behaviour at the points of use. The energy consumptions of electric cookers in 36 UK homes were measured in detail and three methods for influencing end users to reduce their cooking energy consumptions were developed and assessed in 32 households. These "information-transfer methods" involved providing householders with: (a) an energy-saving information pack; (b) appropriate electronic energy-consumption feedback indicators (ECIs) to display the inuse consumptions; or (c) information-pack plus ECI