Panorama
 
 
 
   
 
 

CLIMATE CHANGE THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN OF EUROPEAN YOUTH

Environmental Panorama
International
May of 2007

 

More environmental education, alternative sources of energy and stricter transportation laws are some of the proposals put forth by Europe’s next generations of policy makers and voters.

9 May, Europe day, commemorates the speech the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman gave 57 years ago, advocating closer European cooperation. Europe day has a particularly special meaning this year as we also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rome Treaty.

Curious as to how the future policy-makers and voters feel about Europe's environment, the EEA's communication team interviewed young Europeans. The interviews were conducted at the first ever Rome Youth Summit organised by the European Commission. In addition, the team interviewed students from the Copenhagen International School in Denmark. The teenagers showed a clear concern about climate change and gave some very specific policy prescriptions.

Click on the below images to view the interviews:

'What are your concerns about the environment, now and in the future, and what policy changes would you propose to protect our planet?''The environment is our home', says Luca Palescandolo from Italy, 'if we do not preserve our home, ultimately we won't be able to live on this planet.' Integral environmental education programmes, strict legislation and effective follow-up of governmental initiatives in environmental protection are some of the proposed solutions to tackling today's problems.

The interviews were conducted at the Youth Summit co-organised by the European Commission and Youth Forum. Over 200 delegates from European youth organisations gathered to open a dialogue with EU policy-makers and to produce input for the debate on the future of Europe.
50th anniversary celebrations, Youth Summit, Rome, 2007

'If you were the President of Europe, what would you do to help decrease pollution and improve our environment?'Increasing taxes on cars and using that money to invest in environmentally-friendly forms of transportation are the most cited policies a green President would implement. Other proposals include ambitious renewable energy targets and big budgets for alternative sources of energy, environmental education and campaigns to inform the young, and the not so young alike, on what they can do to help the environment.

EU greenhouse gas emissions drop in 2005

Emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases (GHG) decreased between 2004 and 2005, according to preliminary data from a forthcoming EEA report. The report, 'Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 11000-2005 and inventory report 2007', was submitted to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as the European Community’s official submission on 14 April. It will be officially launched in mid-June 2007.

Themes Climate change

The drop in emissions, while positive, must be viewed in context. It represents a decrease over only one year and may not be representative of the trend over a longer period
Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA
The EEA has taken the decision to release the main messages of the report early because of growing public and political interest in the issue of climate change.

The key points of the report are:
EU-15: Emissions of GHGs decreased by 0.8 % between 2004 and 2005.
EU-15: Emissions of GHGs decreased by 1.5 % compared to 11000.
EU-27: Emissions of GHGs decreased by 8 % compared to 11000 levels.

Which sectors are mainly responsible for the GHG cuts?

In absolute terms, the main sectors contributing to emissions reductions between 2004 and 2005 in the EU-15 were public electricity and heat production, households and services, and road transport.

Emissions from public electricity and heat production decreased mainly due to a reduction in the reliance on coal. The reduced emissions from households and services have to be further analysed, but appear to be due to climatic conditions. The decrease in emissions from road transport has also to be further analysed, but appears to be a combination of reduced fuel consumption and increased use of diesel cars.

Which countries show the biggest decreases in GHG emissions?

Germany, Finland and the Netherlands contributed most to the EU-15 reduction.

Germany: a shift from coal to gas in the production of public electricity and heat was one of the main reasons for the decrease in emissions. In addition, emissions from road transport and from households and services declined substantially.

Finland: emission reductions were mainly due to a substantial decrease in the use of fossil fuels in the production of public electricity and heat. Coal use, in particular, decreased.

The Netherlands: less fossil fuel was used for the production of public electricity and heat.

Notes:What is the annual GHG inventory report?
The EEA compiles this report annually using information reported by national governments under the EC GHG Monitoring Mechanism.

The report contains domestic GHG emissions data from 11000 to 2005 for the EU-15 and the EU-27. Domestic, in this context, refers to emissions from within each Member State, which are then added up to give an EU total. The data may be subject to change up to May 2007 as a result of initial checks by the UNFCCC secretariat and updates by EU Member States, however, the main trends outlined will not change.

What is the significance of this report in the context of the Kyoto Protocol?

Official reporting of emissions for compliance purposes under the Kyoto Protocol does not begin until 2010 – when emissions will be reported for 2008. In the meantime, this report is the most accurate inventory of greenhouse gas emissions for the EU and can be used to track progress towards Kyoto targets.

The EU-15 has a common target to reduce GHG emissions by 8 %, compared to the base year* using domestic reductions (cutting emissions from each Member State) as well as Kyoto mechanisms (EU Member States invest in emissions reductions initiatives outside the EU in return for credits). This inventory report suggests that domestic emissions of GHGs decreased by approximately 1.9 % compared to the base year under the Kyoto Protocol.

(*The base year for most greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol is 11000 for the EU-15, but some Member States use 1995 as the base year for fluorinated or 'F-gases', one of the so-called greenhouse gases)

When will the final GHG inventory report be published?

The EEA will not publish more information on the EU GHG emissions situation until mid-June, 2007.
What is the EU-27
EU-27: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom.
What is the EU-15?

EU-15: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom.

 
 

Source: European Environment Agency (http://www.eea.eu.int/main_html)
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