Reducing dependency on fossil fuels and moving towards more renewable energy sources is something every organisation, both large and small, should have on their agenda.

Not only does it contribute towards reducing carbon emissions, but it can also help organisations remain competitive, become more resilient, and make them more appealing to prospective candidates and clients. However, progress in driving this crucial transformation can often be slow, due to a lack of education, outdated policies, and resistance to change.

We recently held a fascinating “Driving a Green Energy Transition Programme” webinar to discuss why organisations are increasingly compelled to embrace green energy strategies and the key considerations they should prioritise when creating and implementing them.

The session was hosted by renowned EV technology, EV charging infrastructure, and green energy solutions expert, Randal “Tiny” Smith, who has an extensive background working with industry leaders like Jaguar Land Rover and various EV organisations.

As well as discussing the importance of green energy transformations, Randal shared proven insights drawn from his career into what it takes to implement these transformations successfully. There was also plenty of lively discussion amongst our attendees, who work across the travel and transport sectors, regarding the differing approaches their organisations were prioritising, including further education and cost considerations.

For those who were unable to attend our webinar session with Randal, never fear. We’ve summarised the main discussion points and actionable insights below so you can still learn how to manage your organisation’s green energy agenda with confidence.

Key Barriers to Green Energy Adoption

As with any major organisational change, the widespread adoption of green energy and its technologies faces its fair share of barriers. From challenging grid integrations to infrastructure issues, outdated policies and regulations, organisations encounter numerous hurdles in their endeavour to go green.

However, none of these barriers are as significant as the resistance to change. Stakeholders and consumers can often push back against a green energy transformation, primarily because they are more familiar with fossil fuel technologies and may not understand the need for change.

Randal explained that he’s witnessed this resistance to change in many of the organisations he’s worked with. He attributes much of this hesitancy to negative social media and news coverage of renewable energy products and EVs, which he believes play a significant role in convincing organisations that moving away from fossil fuels will be problematic.

He explained:

One of the biggest challenges you'll find is resistance and negativity towards the change. People have a natural resistance to change. They prefer to maintain the status quo, so they're quite happy to carry on using their fossil fuels. Why change? Why change something that's not broken?

There’s a lot of negativity towards EVs too, because people don't like change. It’s got so bad in the UK that the House of Lords Climate Change Committee wrote to the government last year and produced a report showing that the negativity towards EVs is so bad and so ingrained that it’s now threatening the automotive industry.”

Overcoming this deeply rooted resistance to change is crucial if organisations want to successfully transition to green energy initiatives. The most effective way of doing this is through education. Organisations can invest in educational programmes that demonstrate the benefits of green energy and address common misconceptions using facts and the success stories of other organisations.

Support from Local Authorities is Key

The increased interest in green technologies, particularly EVs, is by no means random. The UK has surpassed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal of limiting global warming in 2024, meaning the government is far from achieving its net-zero target for 2050. According to 2023 emissions reports, the UK’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is transport at 29%, with 53% of that coming from fossil fuelled cars and taxis alone.

To reverse this trend, there is a greater focus on encouraging the general public and organisations to use alternative energy sources, such as electricity, hydrogen, and biofuels, especially for transport. However, the availability of reliable charging points continues to be a significant challenge for EV adoption.

Thankfully, local authorities have the power to address this issue. By investing in EV charging infrastructure, they could play a pivotal role in creating a more positive public perception of EV's and green energy, which could incentivise people to make the transition.

Randal explained that unfortunately, many local authorities put plans for EV charging points on “the back burner” in favour of other issues due to budgetary constraints, causing delays in adoption. He believes organisations should engage with their local authorities and present the “bigger picture”, supported by data that demonstrates the benefits of green energy, to gain their buy-in.

Consider Your Emissions Footprint

Before organisations can start implementing an effective green energy transformation, it’s vital to consider their long-term goals. These goals could range from lowering energy costs to increasing independence and resilience.

To assist in this process, organisations should first analyse their current energy usage across all steps of their operations, from suppliers to transportation to waste disposal. This analysis should provide a clearer picture of their current emissions footprint and help identify the goals they wish to achieve. These findings can then be used to shape their overall strategy.

Randal explained that once a long-term aim has been determined, it’s crucial for organisations to remain consistent and continue pushing forward with their green energy initiatives, even when faced with challenges along the way.

He said:

Change has to be pushed forward to make progress, because progress is only made by taking risks. Otherwise, we’d all still be living in the Stone Age and not travelling any faster than a walking pace. So we have to consistently drive these changes through for the benefit of all.

Eventually, green energy is going to win… It has to win. We've got this net-zero target, we've got to save the planet, and we've got to drive down temperatures. So we've all just got to keep pushing at it.”

With lots of thought-provoking ideas and lively discussions, there’s no denying that our attendees left with plenty of food for thought on how best to approach their green energy transition moving forward.

If you’d be interested in attending one of our future events, either as an attendee or a potential speaker, you can register your interest here.