Controlling light use

For the last couple of decades, European and UK lighting policy has focused on increasing the efficiency of individual lighting products, with efficiency measured in lumens per watt. This is a narrow and distorting measure which takes no account of the wider visual quality and usability of the light produced. There have been no equivalent controls on the amount of lighting used, or its quality. The result? There is evidence that the amount of energy used for lighting has increased – because, as the unit cost of light has fallen, people – and especially businesses – have simply used more of it.

This harmful and unnecessary use of light – often referred to as light pollution – is having serious impacts on human health and the natural world – from disrupted sleep patterns to declines in insect populations and the end of dark skies.

In France, groundbreaking new regulations on the use of lighting require outdoor lighting curfews, controls on upward or wide-angled light emissions, and restrictions on blue-rich light, which is particularly biologically harmful, with a 3000 K (warm white) limit for all lights, and even warmer colour temperatures for nature reserves.

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