PRESS RELEASE - London, 21 September 2023

• New research shows 60% would support New York-style “brown tax” on polluting large commercial and residential buildings

• Almost half of people believe this would be more effective than ULEZ in reducing emissions

• New installation at the Building Centre, London to showcase technology for the “street of the future”.

 

A recent study by UK-based greentech company, Pavegen, reveals a growing sentiment among the UK public for stricter emission regulations. Some 60% of respondents supported a New York-inspired “brown tax” on commercial buildings exceeding set emission limits. The survey further indicates that many believe this approach would be more effective than the currently debated ULEZ scheme in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

This disclosure coincides with Pavegen’s latest unveiling at the Building Centre in London, where they are showcasing what is billed as the “street of the future” in cities to coincide with global Zero Emissions Day on 21 September. 

With operations in nearly 40 countries, and having doubled its revenue last year, Pavegen is a UK export success story and is a testament to the UK’s burgeoning greentech industry. The unique Pavegen tile harnesses the kinetic power of footsteps or movement to create clean, off-grid energy that can be used to help power LED lighting and charge smart-phones or create engaging, immersive experiences such as green walls that connect people and businesses with environmental, social or governance (ESG) initiatives. Pavegen’s innovative concept has found its place globally, from transport hubs in Sydney to public parks in Telford, with heavyweight clients including Ford, Google, and Kia.

Its new installation at the Building Centre will showcase a range of products and solutions designed to help governments, businesses and people engage with ESG goals. As well as the Pavegen tile, visitors can see the “walk of light” - a footpath that lights up as it is walked on. This low maintenance, self perpetuating flooring could help improve public safety and reduce the reliance and cost of overhead streeting lighting for councils, and allow large buildings to integrate Pavegen systems into their carbon emission reduction efforts. 

From January next year, New York City will introduce one of the most expensive carbon taxes, fining landlords of large structures, including residential buildings, $268 per ton for exceeding carbon dioxide emission limits. 

The research shows overwhelming public support for a similar scheme to be implemented in the UK. Sixty percent would support the introduction of an equivalent climate tax and half of those questioned thought that such fines would be more effective in tackling climate change than the controversial ULEZ scheme. This percentage rises to 63% for those living in London and 65% for those living in Wales.

Sustainability is top of mind for many UK consumers, with almost 63% of respondents reporting to have tried to live more sustainably in the last year, with a reduction in energy consumption (77.2%), cutting of food waste (78.2%) and fewer leisure and travel trips (40.3%) the main ways they have done so. Some of the major barriers to living sustainably are the perceived expense (41.4%), difficulty (19.7%) and lack of knowledge (18.4%). 

When asked about their vision of the “street of the future” in cities, almost 45% wanted to see more trees and plants, 34.7% wanted more pedestrian-only zones and 27.4% like the idea of pavements and footpaths that generate electricity. At the same time, almost 15% of respondents said they would spend more time in their nearest city if there was better infrastructure in place.

Pavegen, CEO and founder, Laurence Kemball-Cook said: “Our urban environments need to change from somewhere to go, to somewhere to love. And a major part of that is creating a better, healthier environment for work and leisure. We know that commercial buildings in London are responsible for almost 80% of emissions and it’s interesting to see such support for a New York-style scheme to introduce fines for the worst offending culprits. 

“However, it can’t be all stick, no carrot. A truly smart city of the future isn’t just about invisible tech but putting the people at the heart of it. We all have a part to play in combating climate change and being more sustainable from our government and institutions to the person on the street. We know there is an appetite for sustainability but also barriers. So, we are focused on working with clients to create frictionless ways to be more sustainable, by harnessing the power of everyday activity like commuting, shopping and leisure to engage people in the fight against climate change.”

The Building Centre installation will be in place from 19th to 29th September and is open 9am - 6pm everyday. It can be found at 26 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BT. 

Ends://

Notes to Editors 

For more information contact fiona.chow@goadi.co.uk / +44 7988 083 906 or Ava Lawrence ava@finchpr.com

Survey of 2000+ UK adults between 11-14th September. Data was analysed and weighted by Survation

For further information please contact: researchteam@survation.com

New York buildings emission tax https://www.urbangreencouncil.org/what-we-do/driving-innovative-policy/ll97/

Pavegen’s crowdfund opens September 2023 https://www.pavegen.com/invest-in-pavegen

Pavegen images here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/go2298yljf0xa18/AAAmjNlWZPWFBkY7ewZG1V7Ja?dl=0

About Pavegen:

Pavegen is a purpose-driven technology business that helps power change and generates positive outcomes for people and planet. 

Laying under foot inside buildings, public spaces and at events, Pavegen Kinetic Paving harnesses the power of people’s footsteps, creating not only a small amount of energy – but also imaginative, interactive experiences and data, to help educate, engage, and enable meaningful actions around sustainability and Net Zero intent.  Pavegen calls this Citizen Impact, powered by Pavegen. 

Pavegen helps power Kinetic Street Furniture applications such as USB charging, LED lights, Green Wall irrigation systems, whilst data from the system can be used for public educational purposes on digital display screens. 

Kinetic Brand Experiences at live events, expos’ festivals and public spaces produce data to provide gamified experiences that help brands engage meaningfully with consumers.   

The company was first commercialised in 2015 by Laurence Kemball-Cook who invented the Kinetic Paving technology that can now be seen in over 37 countries around the world.