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The Green Economy Back to Basics: What is Climate Change? The word climate describes the average pattern of weather for a particular region over a long period of time, as a result, climate is usually defined as the "average weather" in a place. It includes patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons. Climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them. But the climate we’ve come to expect is not what it used to be. Climate change is the large-scale, long-term shift in the planet's weather patterns or average temperatures. Though earth has had tropical climates and ice ages many times in its 4.5 billion years, since the last ice age which ended about 11,000 years ago, Earth's climate has been relatively stable at about 14 °C. Today our climate is rapidly changing leading to many disruptive impacts. This change is progressing faster than any seen in the last 2,000 years. Why does this happen? Heat rays from the sun warm the earth’s surface. As the temperature increases, heat is sent back into the atmosphere. Some of it is absorbed or reflected back to the earth by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, like CO2, water vapour, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone. This natural process is called ‘the greenhouse effect’ and it makes life possible on our planet. Without this, the global average temperature would be -18°. Over the last century, the impact of human activity has taken its toll on the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, of which 80% is CO2. This number is now higher than any in the last 650,000 years. The result is that the average global temperature has risen by 0.74°C and the average temperature in Europe by 1°C. By burning fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal for energy, mankind has released huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. While other greenhouse gases are released by certain industrial activities, agriculture and waste dumps. The 11 hottest years on record have all occurred since the early 1990s. Scientists predict that global temperatures could rise by between 1.1 and 6.4 °C over this century if no action is taken to reduce emissions. Each European is responsible for 11 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, out of which close to nine tonnes are CO2 emissions. Households use one third of the energy consumed in the EU and are therefore responsible for around 20% of the EU’s energy-related CO2 emissions. 70% of the energy used by households is spent on heating our homes, 14% on heating water and 12% on lighting and electric appliances. Private cars are responsible for 10% of the EU’s CO2 emissions. Europe is home to only 7% of the world’s population, but uses 20% of the world’s ecosystem resources in terms of fibres, food, energy, and waste absorption. On average, each European citizen produces 1 kg of waste every day. Every year, we produce the equivalent weight of 4000 Eiffel Towers in waste packaging, and it’s increasing. Higher Temperatures Scientific research shows that the climate - that is, the average temperature of the planet's surface - has risen by 0.89 °C from 1901 to 2012. Compared with climate change patterns throughout Earth's history, this rate of temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution is extremely high. The number of areas being affected by extreme heat are on the rise with the hottest temperatures on the planet also increasing. Higher temperatures can reduce crop yields and drive up energy usage. In the last decade, there were three times more weather-related natural catastrophes in the world than in the 1960s. The scorching summer of 2003 contributed to the premature deaths of 35,000 Europeans in the first two weeks of August, set off large-scale forest fires and caused agricultural losses of more than €10 billion. Changing Rainfall There have been observed changes in precipitation, with rainfall increasing in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere since the beginning of the 20th century. There have also been changes between seasons in different regions. For example, the UK's summer rainfall is decreasing on average, while winter rainfall is increasing. There is also evidence that heavy rainfall events have become more intensive, especially over North America. As temperatures rise and the air becomes warmer, more moisture evaporates from land and water into the atmosphere. More moisture in the air generally means we can expect more rain and snow and more heavy downpours. But this extra precipitation is not spread evenly around the globe, and some places might actually get less precipitation than they used to get. That's because climate change causes shifts in air and ocean currents, which can change weather patterns. Changes in Nature As climate change wreaks its havoc across the globe, ecosystems could disappear altogether, or they may undergo serious and irreversible changes. As average temperatures increase, optimum habitat for many species will move higher up mountains or further towards the Poles. Where there is no higher ground or where changes are taking place too quickly for ecosystems and species to adjust, local losses or even global extinctions will occur. Species such as polar bears and penguins are particularly vulnerable, with walruses and seals also under threat. Changes such as shorter winters can lead to mismatches between key elements in an ecosystem, such as feeding periods for young birds and availability of worms or insects for food. It also impacts on farmers’ growing seasons. Climatic records put together with long-term records of flowering and nesting times show clear warming trends. In Britain flowering time and leaf-break records date back to 1736, thus providing solid evidence of climate-related changes. Long-term trends towards earlier bird breeding, earlier spring migrant arrival and later autumn departure dates have been observed in North America, along with changes in migratory patterns in Europe. Rising Sea Levels Since 1900, sea levels have risen by about 10 cm around the UK and about 19 cm globally, on average. One of the most pronounced effects of climate change has been the melting of masses of ice around the world. Glaciers and ice sheets are large, slow-moving assemblages of ice that cover about 10% of the world’s land area and exist on every continent except Australia. They are the world’s largest reservoir of fresh water, holding approximately 75%. One of the best-documented examples of glacial retreat has been on Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. It is the tallest peak on the continent, and so, despite being located in the tropics, it is high enough so that glacial ice has been present for many centuries. However, over the past century the volume of Mount Kilimanjaro’s glacial ice has decreased by about 80%. If this rate of loss continues, its glaciers will likely disappear within the next decade. It is also estimated that 75% of the glaciers in the Swiss Alps will disappear by 2050. Melting Ice Caps The area of sea covered by Arctic ice at the North Pole has shrunk by 10% in recent decades, and the thickness of the ice above the water has decreased by about 40%. On the other side of the world, the ice sheet above the Antarctic continent have become unstable. By affecting the temperature and precipitation of a particular area, both of which are key factors in the ability of a glacier to replenish its volume of ice, climate change affects the mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. When the temperature exceeds a particular level or if warm temperatures lasts for a long enough period, and/or there is insufficient precipitation, glaciers and ice sheets will lose mass. What has the EU done so far? The European Union has been at the forefront of international efforts to combat climate change. This takes place under the umbrella of the 1992 UN Climate Change Convention and its 1997 Kyoto Protocol which sets targets for the greenhouse emissions of developed countries. The European Commission has developed many different measures to help EU Member States reach their Kyoto targets. Governments set limits for emissions from the industrial and energy sectors by allocating emission allowances with companies allowed to trade these allowances to keep costs low. This is known as emissions trading. Other measures taken by the EU seek to improve the energy efficiency of industrial plants, buildings and household appliances. The Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing emissions expired in 2012. To prevent global warming from reaching dangerous proportions, worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases will have to be cut to around half of their 1990 levels by 2050, and emissions from developed countries by 60-80%. Europe 2020’s ‘Green Economy’ marks the next step in the European Commissions fight against climate change. What is Europe 2020 Europe 2020 is a 10-year strategy proposed by the European Commission on 3 March 2010 for advancement of the economy of the European Union. It aims at "smart, sustainable, inclusive growth" with greater coordination of national and European policy. It follows the Lisbon Strategy for the period 2000–2010. The strategy identifies five headline targets the European Union should take to boost growth and employment.... Main Targets of Europe 2020 To raise the employment rate of the population aged 20–64 from the current 69% to at least 75%. To achieve the target of investing 3% of GDP in research and development. In particular by improving the conditions for investment by the private sector, and to develop a new indicator to track innovation. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels or by 30% if the conditions are right. Increase the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption to 20%, and achieve a 20% increase in energy efficiency. To reduce the share of early school leavers to 10% from the current 15% and increase the share of the population aged 30–34 having completed tertiary education from 31% to at least 40%. To reduce the number of Europeans living below national poverty lines by 25%, lifting 20 million people out of poverty. What has this to do with Climate Change and the Environment? One of the primary aims of Europe 2020 is to create a ‘Green Economy’. The green economy is defined as an economy that results in reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and that aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment. It is closely related with ecological economics, but has a more politically applied focus. In the past, economic growth often seemed to depend on using up natural resources as though supplies were unlimited. The result is a 'resource crisis', with a threat of shortages and rising prices. Today, growing numbers of citizens and economists are looking to different economic models, where wealth can be created without harming the environment. The EU is attempting to help citizens and governments to ’green their economies’, through better management of resources, economic instruments that are good for the environment, support for innovation, better policies for water and waste, and efforts to boost sustainable consumption and production. Europe 2020 Strategy Targets on Climate Change and Energy The EU has committed to limiting the mean global temperature rise to 2 °C above pre-industrial levels, through reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Focusing on the most important one, carbon dioxide (CO2), the Europe 2020 strategy aims to turn the EU into a so-called ‘low carbon’ economy based on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. The Europe 2020 strategy sets three objectives for climate and energy policy, to be reached by 2020 - Reducing GHG emissions by at least 20 % compared with 1990 levels; - Increasing the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption to 20 % - Moving towards a 20 % increase in energy efficiency These targets are also known as the ‘20-20-20’ targets. Managing Resources We need natural resources like metals, minerals, forests, land, food, air and water for prosperity and well-being, but we are using them up faster than they can be replaced. When we destroy animals and plants that keep our ecosystems in balance, we are storing up problems for the future. What can we do about it? By 2050, if we follow our current path, we would be extracting five times more resources than we do today. That probably won't be possible. More than 60% of our ecosystems are already overexploited, world fish stocks face grave threats, and we are endangering the quality of our water and air by cutting down too many trees. Continued... The EU has a long-term strategy to reduce the damage caused by the unsustainable use of natural resources. The aim is to create more value while using fewer resources, and substituting them with more environmentally favourable choices wherever possible. We need to reduce the environmental impacts of production and consumption at every stage – from the extraction of raw materials to the use of the products they become and the waste they create when disposed of. The best way to do that is to improve the design of products and encourage manufacturing processes that use materials less wastefully. When we reduce the amount of materials we use, and re-use and recycle, we recover valuable materials and help reduce emissions. Recycling aluminium saves around 95% of energy compared to extraction, for example. Likewise, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill reduces emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. We also need better information about what we are doing. GDP measures monetary values, but it doesn't measure things that aren't traded, like a clean environment. Additional indicators – which the Commission is trying to develop – would help us measure environmental, social and well-being issues better. This would help us understand the sort of changes we will need to be more resource-efficient. Using the Economy for a Sustainable future If people and businesses automatically thought about the impacts on resources, health and the environment when making decisions, many problems would be avoided. One way of encouraging people to protect nature, avoid pollution, eliminate waste and manage natural resources is to introduce a financial incentive. This is why environment policy tries to use economic incentives to encourage changes in behaviour. Much of Europe is locked in to business models, infrastructure and behaviour that use resources with too little regard for efficiency. But our world is changing, and the end of unlimited resources is already here. It's time for a shift to resource efficiency in all sectors of industry. No one loves taxes, but policymakers can use them to help society alter its course. By increasing taxes on activities that harm the environment, and reducing taxes on labour, we can improve the environment and create more jobs. A number of EU countries have already introduced such reforms. Using Innovations To protect the environment and make EU industry more competitive, we need technologies, processes and business models that use resources more efficiently. We call these solutions "eco-innovations". The EU is aiming to transform Europe into a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy. Eco-industries prevent and correct environmental damage and solve problems like noise and damage to ecosystems. They make a vital contribution in sectors like waste and waste-water management, renewable energy sources, air pollution and sustainable construction. Environmental technologies are an important part of the EU economy. They have an annual turnover of €320 billion, and they have grown 8% per year since 2004. The EU has one third of the world market, which could double to more than €2,200 billion by 2020. The European Union supports green technology and green products through a range of funding schemes and policies. An Eco-innovation Action Plan targets drivers of eco-innovation and barriers to its uptake. It helps fund research and innovation projects and eco-innovative companies. The Competitiveness and Innovation Programme provides access to financing for small firms, facilitating research and innovation. Resource Efficiency in the EU The growth of the world economy is putting unsustainable pressure on Earth’s resources. This will get worse. More competition for limited resources will mean higher prices and instability – global trends that will have huge impacts on the European economy. This is why the EU is pushing for “resource efficiency”, which means using resources in a more sustainable way. Raw materials like water, minerals and timber need to be managed more efficiently throughout their life-cycle, from when they are first extracted to when they are finally disposed of. Depending less on limited resources will make Europe less vulnerable to supply shortages and volatile market prices. Green technologies and renewable energy, eco-industries and recycling can all help. Everyone will do better as a result. If we carried on using resources at the current rate, by 2050 it would take the equivalent of more than two planets to sustain us! The EU vision is of an economy that grows while respecting resource constraints and planetary boundaries. To become more resource-efficient, millions of companies and consumers will need to transform the ways they produce and consume. Europe 2020, aims to make the EU a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. One of the building blocks of this initiative is the Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe. It shows the way to a more sustainable economy, with policy initiatives that aim to stimulate greater innovation for short-term and long-term economic and environmental benefits. Sustainable Production and Consumption To face the challenges confronting us today, we need to change the way we produce and consume goods. We need to create more value while using fewer inputs, reduce costs and minimise impacts on the environment. We need to do more with less. More efficient production processes and better environmental management systems can significantly reduce pollution and waste, and save water and other resources. This is good for business too, as it can cut operating costs and reduce dependency on raw materials Eco-design and eco-innovation can ease the impacts of producing goods. They can help improve the overall environmental performance of products throughout their lifecycle, and boost demand for better production technologies. Our biggest consumption impacts on the environment come from food, buildings and transport, and this is where most change is needed. Improving construction and use of buildings in the EU, for example, could cut 42 % of our final energy consumption and about 35 % of our greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce water use by up to 30 %. Eco-labelling can help consumers make more informed choices. The EU Eco-label identifies products and services that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. The criteria are developed by scientists, NGOs and stakeholders to create a reliable way to make environmentally responsible choices. Preventing and Managing Waste Traditionally waste has been seen as a source of pollution. But well managed waste can be a valuable source of materials, especially when many are becoming scarce. The EU economy uses 16 tonnes of materials per person per year, of which 6 tonnes becomes waste, half of it going to landfill. Many Member States still rely on landfills to manage their waste, even though they are unsustainable. Landfills can contaminate soil and pollute water and air. Uncontrolled dumping can release dangerous chemicals and endanger health. Above all, the valuable materials in the waste are lost. The best option is to stop creating waste. When that isn't possible, other good choices are re-using, recycling and recovery. Good waste management can saves valuable resources promotes job creation , avoids costly clean-up operations, and prevents health problems. According to a 2012 study, if all EU waste legislation was fully implemented, Europe would save €72 billion a year, the turnover of the waste management and recycling sector would rise by €42 billion, and it would create 400,000 jobs by 2020. So why is this not happening? Often, prices don't include the true cost of disposing of goods after use. If they did, this would help prevent waste. Illegal practices are widespread, especially in countries where waste isn't separated, and where recycling, recovery, and legal enforcement are weak. The EU is trying to improve waste management in Member States that have weak waste policies, recommending economic instruments such as landfill taxes, making producers take goods back at the end of their life, and asking citizens to pay for their waste. EU laws on items like electrical equipment, packaging, batteries, and cars to be scrapped have brought about clear improvements in waste collection and management, and many products now contain fewer hazardous substances as a result. But there is still room for improvement! Managing Water Resources Access to good quality water is essential for people, nature and economic activities. Large amounts of water are required to produce energy, grow food and manufacture everyday goods. Restoring waterways to their natural state is essential to ensure that fish, birds and animals get the food and habitats they need. Water follows a cycle – it circulates continuously between sea, air and land, through rivers, lakes and the ground and back to the sea. Under Europe's central piece of water legislation – the Water Framework Directive – river basins are systems to be managed in a coordinated way, even if different countries are involved. The aim of the legislation is to ensure good quality water around the EU by 2015. A healthy marine environment is also vital. Marine pollution often comes from land, but it can come from sea-based activities or from the atmosphere. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive adopts a coordinated approach to managing human activities that have an impact on the marine environment. It aims to have marine waters healthy by 2020.Other EU legislation safeguards drinking water and bathing water. To manage water resources properly, quality needs to be monitored closely. Member States check the state of their waters and draw up plans showing how they will clean them. These plans are stored in a central database called WISE EU’s GHG Emission Reductions EU’s GHG emission reductions are approaching the 2020 target, a reduction of 20% compared to 1990s levels. The main policy instruments to achieve the target are the EU Emissions Trading Systems (EU ETS) and the Effort Sharing Decision. The EU ETS sets a single EU-wide cap for more than 11, 000 power stations and industrial plants, as well as the aviation industry. The cap shrinks each year to reach 21 % emission reductions compared with 2005 by 2020. The Effort Sharing Decision establishes binding annual GHG emissions targets for Member States for emissions from sectors not included in the EU ETS. Member States’ targets for the non-EU ETS sectors (such as transport, buildings, agriculture and waste) vary between a 20 % reduction to a 20 % increase in emissions by 2020, reflecting differences in starting points and wealth. Together, the EU ETS and the Effort Sharing Decision will reduce overall emissions to 14 % below 2005 levels by 2020. This will equal a 20 % cut below 1990 levels. Continued... By 2012, the EU as a whole had cut man-made GHG emissions by 17.9 % compared with their 1990 levels. The economic crisis, which started in 2008, led to an overall economic slowdown and resulted in a fall in GHG emissions. A sharp drop of 7.3 % in 2009 was followed by a rebound in 2010. However, the downward trend continued in 2011. In 2012 GHG emissions fell further, by 1.3 % compared with 2011, and GDP fell by 0.4 %. Ireland alongside Belgium, Cyprus and in particular Luxembourg, have seen a considerable decrease in emissions. On the contrary, per capita GHG emissions rose in some eastern European Member States between 2005 and 2012, with the largest increases taking place in the Baltic countries Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Greenhouse gas emissions per sector, EU-28, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2012 (Million tones of CO2 equivalent) Source: European Environment Agency, Eurostat online data code Global CO2 Emissions and mean temperature continue to rise Despite reductions in the EU, global CO2 emissions from fuel combustion rose by 49 % between 1990 and 2011. Most of the increase took place in emerging economies. Emissions growth was strongest in China, both in relative and absolute terms. Between 1990 and 2011, China’s annual CO2 emissions more than tripled and the country overtook the United States as the world’s biggest emitter. At the same time, its per-capita emissions represented only 84 % of EU-27 levels in 2011. Although less important in absolute terms, emissions in the rest of Asia and the rest of the world also grew significantly in relative terms between 1990 and 2011 (172 % and 79 % respectively). As a result of these trends, the EU’s share of global CO2 emissions has been shrinking, from almost a fifth in 1990 to 11.4 % in 2011. Continued... Rising emissions have dramatically increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Although there is a time lag between CO2 being emitted and the corresponding increase in average global surface temperature, recordings already show a clear upward trend. Between 2001 and 2010, global surface temperature was 0.88 °C higher than during the first decade of the 20th century. Current projections estimate that global mean temperatures could continue to rise by as much as 1.1 °C to 6.4 °C by 2100 if CO2 emissions remain at current levels. The Impact on EU Countries In Europe and globally, the rise in temperature has already led to observable changes in the natural systems and society. Damage costs from natural disasters have increased and are likely to rise substantially in the future. A recent European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment shows that the negative impacts of climate change will not affect European regions equally. Climate change can increase existing vulnerabilities such as exposure to flood risk in coastal areas or drought in the Mediterranean region. By hitting marginalised regions and poor people the hardest, climate change might deepen socioeconomic imbalances in Europe. This could undermine the Europe 2020 strategy’s objective of inclusive growth. EU emission cuts alone cannot halt climate change, but if it can show that a low-carbon economy is feasible, and can even increase innovation and employment, it will serve as a role model to other regions. Renewable Energy and the EU The second energy and climate headline target of the Europe 2020 strategy is to increase the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption to 20 % by 2020. Between 2004 and 2012, the share of renewable energy increased by 70 %, reaching 14.1 % of gross final energy consumption in 2012. The two main drivers of this increase were support schemes for renewable energy technology and shrinking costs. The EU is now the world’s biggest renewable energy investor. Energy Consumption •The expansion of renewable energy sources reduces the EU’s dependence on imported fuels and by creating jobs, contributes to the Europe 2020 strategy’s employment objective. •The dependence on imports exposes the European economy to high price volatility, significant costs and the risk of supply shortages, for example, due to geopolitical conflicts. Renewable energies, most of which can be sourced domestically, reduce these risks. They also generate more of their value added within EU borders, unlike imported fossil fuels. •All Member States have increased their renewable energy share between 2005 and 2012. Renewable Energies Renewable energy can be generated from a range of sources, including hydro, wind, solar and geothermal power. Biomass, the only renewable energy source contributing to all energy use sectors remains by far the most important source in the EU. However, wind and solar energy are growing the fastest. In 2012, the EU generated 17.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent from wind energy, a more than nine-fold increase compared with 2000. In the same year, solar energy contributed a total of 9.1 Mtoe, 21 times as much as in 2000. Renewable energies provided 15.6 % of Europe’s energy for heating and cooling in 2012, up from 9.9 % in 2004. Energy Efficiency Improvements Delivering the same service or product but using less energy is one of the most cost-effective options for reducing GHG emissions. The headline target is to move towards a 20 % increase in energy efficiency. In absolute terms this means that by 2020, EU energy consumption should not exceed 1, 483 Mtoe of primary energy or 1, 086 Mtoe of final energy. An analysis underlines the need to further pursue energyefficiency measures. Continuous effort can ensure that PEC (primary energy consumption) will remain on a downward path even when economic growth accelerates again. The trend in final energy consumption has closely followed the trend in primary energy consumption, reaching 1, 103 Mtoe in 2012. Energy Efficient Targets per Member State •25 Member States have reduced primary energy consumption between 2005 and 2012 by values ranging from 1.2 % to 25.9 %. •A look at the data for 2007, the year before the onset of the economic crisis, shows that reduced economic output in addition to energy-efficiency measures also helped lower consumption. •In the remaining three Member States, primary energy consumption has gone up by 0.1 % to 12 % since 2005, stressing the importance of additional efforts to improve energy efficiency. Outlook toward 2020 At first glance, the EU has made substantial progress towards its energy and climate objectives. In 2012, GHG emissions were down by 18 % compared with 1990 levels, approaching the headline target to reduce emissions by 20 % by 2020. To achieve the target of improving energy efficiency by 20 % by 2020, the EU has to reduce PEC by a further 6.3 % over a period of eight years. With respect to renewable energies, progress towards a restructured low-carbon economy is clearly noticeable. Between 2004 and 2012, the share of final energy from renewable source increased by 70 %, reaching 14.1 % in gross final energy consumption in 2012. Thanks to effective support schemes and dramatic cost reductions, the share of wind and solar energy has increased particularly quickly. Efforts needed for Europe 2020 Targets According to the latest Member State projections, the EU-28 will overachieve its 2020 emission reduction target for the sectors not covered by the EU ETS by 1 %. However, only 15 Member States are expected to reach their commitments with the existing policies and measures, while 13 are unlikely to be able to meet their commitments unless additional measures are implemented. With respect to the renewable energy target, the European Commission’s 2013 Progress Report warns that more effort will be needed to sustain high levels of investment in renewable energy projects. Compared with the National Renewable Energy Action Plans prepared by Member States, projections indicate that only 50 % of total wind generation planned in 2020 might actually be produced. As foreseen by the Europe 2020 strategy, tapping the remaining greenhouse gas reduction potential can have significant socioeconomic and environmental benefits. The EU can create jobs in high-technology industries; it can become a lead market in fields with high global demand and reduce energy dependence. More renewables and improved energy efficiency could save the EU between €175 and 320 billion of energy import costs per year over the next 40 years. What can I do to help? Everyone has a role to play in combating climate change. Here is a list of things we can all easily do..... Turn Down Don’t overheat your home. Reducing the temperature by just 1°C can cut up to 7% off your family’s energy bill. 70% of the energy used by households is for heating. Programme your home’s thermostat so that at night or while you are out of the house, the temperature is set at 17°C and by the time you wake up or return home, the temperature is at a comfortable 20°C again. Save hot water by taking a shower rather than a bath – it requires four times less energy. When you make a hot drink, just boil the amount of water you need. When you air your room, leave the window wide open for a few minutes and then close it again, rather than letting the heat escape over a long period. Defrost your fridge regularly. You can save up to 30% of the energy used. Don’t set your fridge at the highest cooling setting. When the temperature of your fridge is lower than 5°C, you will only consume more energy; your food will not keep fresh longer. Don’t put hot or warm food in the fridge. Let it cool down first and place it in the fridge afterwards. Switch Off Don’t forget to switch off the lights when you don’t need them. Don’t leave your TV or computer on standby. On average, a TV set uses 45% of its energy in standby mode. If all Europeans avoided the standby mode, they would save enough electricity to power a country the size of Belgium. Don’t leave your mobile phone charging when the battery is full. If you do, 95% of the electricity is wasted – only 5% is used to actually charge your phone. Use energy-saving light bulbs – they last longer and use five times less electricity than conventional bulbs. When choosing new household appliances (fridges, washing machines, etc.), consider the European Grade A+ label – that shows that they are energy efficient. If you turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, you save several litres of water. Recycle When shopping, use a reusable bag instead of a disposable plastic one. Bring used glass to the bottle bank and sort paper, cardboard and cans from the rest of your waste. Recycling aluminium cans consumes 10 times less energy than producing new ones. Factories use far less energy making paper from old newspapers than from wood pulp. If you have a garden, compost your biodegradable waste. Choose products that come with little packaging, and buy refills when you can. Take your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of aluminium foil or paper bags. Walk For short distances, for example a few kilometres, avoid taking the car. Walk or cycle instead! When you travel further, consider taking a bus or a train. Also avoid air travel if you can – aeroplanes emit a huge amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. Flying is the world’s fastest growing source of CO2 emissions. If you are about to buy a car, think about buying a more fuel efficient model – you will also save money on your fuel bill! Under European legislation, car manufacturers must display information about CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Additional Activities Plant a tree in your garden or neighbourhood! Five trees soak up around one tonne of CO2 throughout their life time. Look for goods with the European Eco-label (symbolised by a little flower) in shops and supermarkets. Use as little paper as possible: photocopy on both sides. Use email when possible. Consume locally produced, seasonal food. Not only is it healthier, it is also better for the environment! Eat less meat. Producing meat is CO2 intensive. EU Sustainable Energy Week The EU Sustainable Energy Week takes place during the month of June with Energy Days being organised throughout the whole month. The aim is to inspire consumers, public authorities and other stakeholders to join forces in shaping Europe's sustainable energy future. By gathering thousands of people and exchanging experiences in all fields. The EU Sustainable Energy Week helps building the energy community that is indispensable for shaping the Energy Union. Environmental Agencies If you have any questions about climate change, renewable energy or what you can be doing to help, contact the following agencies for impartial help and advice... An Taisce Coastwatch Conservation Volunteers, Ireland Crann Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. ECO-UNESCO EPA (Environment Protection Agency) EU Environmental Information and Legislation Database http://www.ncte.ie/environ/welcome.htm Friends of the Earth, Ireland IEN (Irish Environmental Network) Irish Wildlife Trust National Parks and Wildlife Service Teagasc