This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Avatar photo

Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Ukraine

11th November 2010

Save Energy! Save Money! Win Prizes!

When I first arrived in Moscow on my posting to Russia in December 1992 I had a terrific view from my 13th-floor window of a sea of apartment blocks, beyond which a blood-red sun sank towards the dark horizon sometime in mid-afternoon.  As darkness fell, I was astonished to see that almost every single light in every window of the apartment blocks was illuminated.

Energy has traditionally been cheap in most countries of the former Soviet Union.  For years that has led to little focus on saving energy.  With prices beginning to rise to market levels and increasing concern about climate change, Ukraine has immense potential to cut down on carbon emissions and reduce its energy imports.  Using less energy at home will also help consumers save money.  With this in mind the British embassy in Kyiv is organising a digital public awareness campaign called “Save Energy! Save Money!” (in Ukrainian). As part of this we have announced a photo competition entitled “Save Energy! Stop Climate Change!” (in Ukrainian) sponsored by TNK-BP and SCM (System Capital Management).

This is exciting stuff: check out the links above to see a host of concrete examples from private households and businesses on how to save energy and how this can save you money.  We are constantly expanding the advice with new ideas on how to save energy eg in the kitchen or when making home improvements.  We also set out to show that the Kyiv embassy is practicing what it preaches (in Ukrainian).

About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.