Being a complete novice on the finer arts of football (or soccer to our North American readers) I approached James Atkins’ book, Climate Change for Football Fans, with some trepidation.  More so when I saw the précis: “This is a book about climate change policy, which is one of the most boring topics in the world. So it includes stuff about football, which is one of the most exciting topics in the world.”!

Well it turns out that even a football-illiterate like me can gain a great deal from this quirky, irreverent, funny and thought-provoking book. Clearly written from a position of deep understanding of the subject of climate change policy – and presumably equally so of football, although I am not such a good judge here – this book delivers an insightful analysis of the emissions reduction predicament we face.

First of all I would like to thank my dear friend Massimo Bettanin at global consultants ERM for urging me to read Paul Gilding’s “The Great Disruption”. His enthusiasm for the book put it at the top of my holiday reading this summer and, curiously, it was as satisfying to me as any holiday thriller.

I make this comparison in order to deliberately highlight  the unusually strong literary structure of The Great Disruption.

 

The front cover states that this is “Ranked as one of the best ten publications on sustainable development, according to a Globespan Survey of Sustainability ‘Experts’“. So I naturally approached this title with a measure of suspicion! I am pleased to admit that my inital doubts were entirely misplaced and today Bob Doppelt’s book is one of the most thumbed, pencil-marked, corners-folded volumes in my library!

So why all the hype about a book which essentially takes all the major sources of energy and piece-by-piece examines their current impact and potential future contribution to a low carbon world?

This is almost certainly one of the best book on energy management ever written.

I’ve got to say right from the outset that Christopher Russell is absolutely spot-on with his diagnosis of the reasons why organisations fail to realise the very substantial financial benefits associated with energy efficiency.

It is refreshing that he not only diagnoses the barriers, but offers a wide range of solutions – some innovative, some challenging, but all thoroughly practical.

His focus on leadership, organisation, roles and financial business cases touches the core issues for successful energy management. He beautifully demonstrates the stupidity and value-destruction in the way many organisations approach energy efficiency. The challenge is not around technical solutions (we largely know how to save energy) but in getting these solutions implemented – in raising them to the top of the corporate agenda.