EYP Talk - Your voice on Europe's future. This is the online forum of the European Youth Parliament in the UK.

The Challenge of Climate Change

The challenge of climate change: how can people and governments across Europe help to tackle this global threat?

The panellists in this discussion are:

Mark Avery
Director of Conservation, RSPB

Mark Avery is a scientist by training who heads up the RSPB’s conservation work – from nature reserves to species reintroductions and from research on threatened birds to lobbying government on land use policies that affect wildlife. He has solar panels on his house, gets his energy from RSPB Energy – a green energy scheme – but has to admit to having well-exceeded his lifetime allocation of air travel.

David Baldock
Director, Institute for European Environmental Policy

David Baldock is the Director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy, an independent think tank that seeks to encourage positive environmental policies in Europe. As well as being an authority on European agricultural policy and the environment, David’s specialist areas include the implementation of environmental legislation; and EU strategy with regard to environmental integration. He has an active interest in sustainable development and the external dimension of European policy.

Catherine Stihler MEP

Catherine Stihler has been a Member of the European Parliament representing Scotland since 1999. She is a member of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, Regional Development Committee, and a substitute member on the Transport and Tourism Committee. She is Labour’s European Spokesperson for Fisheries and also for Regional Policy. She is also the Vice President of the Moscow Platform. She served as Deputy Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party from 2004 – 2006.

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Where now?

Posted by Ian Millar moderator on 18/01/2007 - 16:42

So we generally seem to be agreed that there is a problem that needs to be addressed - even if that problem has not been entirely accurately or helpfully characterised by the media/Al Gore.

The big question seems to be where do we go from here? Clearly there is no one big idea that can solve everything, but i'd like to hear what you think needs done.

To start you off here are a few ideas:

It strikes me that we as individuals need help from business and government to make a difference. Apparently standby can account for up to 10 per cent of a household's energy use. If standby was eliminated as an option on new electrical goods that prevent a significant waste of energy. It needn't be as radical as that - perhaps regulation could stipulate that standby had to time out and switch off the appliance after half an hour.

On new building projects it should be a planning condition that each housing or business development be able to provide say at least 5 per cent of its energy from renewable on-site resources (e.g. solar panels). Similarly extensions to existing property would have to meet standards for insulation and sustainability.