date: Thu, 8 Jun 2006 17:16:25 +0100
from: "Janice Darch" <J.Darch@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Commission launch ‘You Control C limate Change’ Awareness
to: <env.faculty@uea>, <env.researchstaff@uea>

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   Commission launch `You Control Climate Change' Awareness Campaign

      FP
      No
   Information type
   News

   Created
   2006-06-05
   Summary
   The European Commission launched the European `You control climate change' awareness
   raising campaign in the UK today, which challenges individuals to make small changes to
   their daily routine in order significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The campaign
   website offers lots of easy, practical tips. It aims to give people a sense of personal
   responsibility and empower them to contribute to the fight climate change, since EU
   households are responsible for 16% of the total EU greenhouse gas emissions. The slogan is
   `Turn down. Switch off. Recycle. Walk. Change.'. In the UK DEFRA (Department for
   Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) also launched a national climate change initiative on
   the 24th May, called `Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge', which aims to explain climate
   change in order to help people tackle the problem.
   Article

   WHY DID THE EU LAUNCH THE CAMPAIGN? Combating climate change is an EU priority and one of
   today's biggest challenges. To succeed, all sectors of society (industry, transport,
   agriculture, households) have to make a contribution. Surveys show that preventing climate
   change is important to Europe's citizens, but many feel helpless and think that their
   actions do not have any impact. The Commission aims to demonstrate to EU citizens how
   individuals can help fight climate change by simple everyday actions, collectively leading
   to significant overall reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to:
     * improve awareness and understanding of climate change amongst citizens;
     * demonstrate that daily activities can collectively make a big difference and that each
       individual has a role to play in the fight against climate change; and
     * motivate citizens to undertake these small, significant changes to their daily routine
       (such as remembering to lower the home's thermostat, switching off the TV rather than
       putting it on standby, recycling and walking more often)

   INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTION: Households are directly responsible for about 16% of EU
   greenhouse gas emissions. Each EU citizen is responsible for 11 tonnes of (mainly CO2)
   greenhouse gas emissions per year. Households use almost 1/3 of the energy consumed in the
   EU, and private cars are responsible for roughly half of the transport emissions, so
   individuals directly influence these emissions. People can also help by reducing waste by
   recycling or composting - it costs ten times less energy to recycle an aluminum can than to
   produce a new one. Last but not least, citizens can push for the structural changes needed
   to achieve a low-carbon society, for example the increased use of renewable energy sources.

   COMMISSION LAUNCH: President of the Commission, Jose Barroso and Environment Commissioner
   Stavros Dimas launched the 4.7 million campaign:
     * Barroso said: `For the Commission action against climate change is a priority. This
       campaign complements and reinforces our political and legislative efforts. It makes
       clear to which extent we all are responsible for climate change and what individuals
       can and need to do to limit this threat.'
     * Dimas commented: `People may say that their individual behaviour does not matter; I say
       on the contrary: Households in the EU count for a large part of the EU's total
       greenhouse gas emissions, so each of us has a role to play in bringing down emissions.
       Our campaign will provide citizens with information about climate change and their role
       in combating it. Doing the right thing is not as difficult as it seems.'

   They also unveiled a giant poster in Brussels showing the Earth in the universe, with a
   thermostat attached to it measuring its rising temperature. It reads `You control climate
   change. Turn down. Switch off. Recycle. Walk.' Other giant posters and outdoor advertising
   are also being unveiled in all other EU capitals. Secondary school pupils will also be
   encouraged to sign a pledge to reduce their CO2 emissions, and to track their progress. The
   campaign website will be available permanently, whilst the campaign itself will be carried
   out mainly in June, September and November 2006.

   CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: The campaign website explains climate change and its effects and gives 50
   tips how to reduce emissions, ranging from turning down the heating by 1C (up to 10% of
   the energy used for heating saved) to avoiding the stand-by mode of TV sets, stereos and
   computers (10% of the energy they use saved) and printing double-sided (up to 50% of paper
   saved). A carbon calculator shows the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions saved by
   each action. There is also a power-saving computer screen saver which can be downloaded.
   Further information

   Campaign website for `You control climate change' at:
   [17]http://www.climatechange.eu.com

   Commission website on climate change:
   [18]http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/home_en.htm
   EU Press Pack - Climate Change:
   [19]http://europa.eu/press_room/presspacks/climate/index_en.htm
   UK website 'Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge' at:
   [20]http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk
   and
   [21]http://ec.europa.eu/environment/networks/newsflash/newsflash24_com_climate.pdf
   Sources
   EU press releases IP/06/684 of 29/05/2006 and MEMO/06/218 of 29/05/2006 available at:
   [22]http://europa.eu/rapid/

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