date: Thu, 8 Jun 2006 17:16:25 +0100 from: "Janice Darch" subject: Commission launch ‘You Control C limate Change’ Awareness to: ,  Subscriber Services banner [1]My News | [2]My Profile | [3]Bookmark this page | [4]My Researcher Page Search ____________________ [5][Search_normal.gif] [6]Advanced Search UKRO Logo [7]Home > [8]Subscriber Services > [9]Information Services > My News navigation bar [10]navigation fp7 button navigation bar [11]navigation fp6 button navigation bar [12]navigation fp5 button navigation bar [13]navigation non-framework button navigation bar navigation information services button navigation bar [14]navigation events button navigation bar [15]navigation brussels info button navigation bar [16]navigation ukro info button navigation bar 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 1ºC (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/ Print article Print this article Embedded Content: left_subscr24.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,01354147 Embedded Content: Search_normal24.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,3f2df517 Embedded Content: ukrosmall24.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,41ea81ef Embedded Content: subs_nav0024.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076deb24 Embedded Content: subs_nav0824.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076dec54 Embedded Content: subs_nav0124.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076deb4a Embedded Content: subs_nav0224.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076deb70 Embedded Content: subs_nav0324.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076deb96 Embedded Content: subs_nav04_on24.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,0bc8eb1a Embedded Content: subs_nav0524.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076debe2 Embedded Content: subs_nav0624.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076dec08 Embedded Content: subs_nav0724.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,076dec2e Embedded Content: print24.gif: 00000001,00000001,00000000,25cf2dd6