A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN OUR HANDS - To Parent Directory

Climate change© CorbisDidyou know…Recycling aluminiumrequires ten times lessenergy than producingit from scratch.To identify and develop targeted means of mitigation, the EU setup a European Climate Change Programme in 2000. By consultingbusinesses, scientists and NGOs, this programme draws up waysin which the EU can reduce its own emissions which account for14% of global emissions. It has so far identified 40 areas, whichtogether can reduce Europe’s emissions by up to 16% comparedwith 1990 figures.Its major achievement has been the Greenhouse Gas EmissionsTrading Scheme which began in 2005. This is the largest multicountry,multi-sector emissions trading scheme in the world. Ithelps countries reach their CO 2obligations under the 1997 KyotoProtocol agreement by teaming up an over-producing country withone that is under its Kyoto limit. The over producer then pays forthe right to use the spare capacity of the other country concerned:in the end, both emit no more than the amount agreed on.A set of measures under the Ecodesign Directive is being developedto ensure that cost-effective improvements are made to themost energy-hungry products. Minimum energy efficiency requirementswill be combined with clearer labelling for these products.It is estimated that improvements to central heating boilers andwater heaters alone could lead to 3% less overall emissions by2020 (compared with 2004).Through the Energy Taxation Directive, the EU will seek to discouragepollutant behaviour and reward positive behaviourin terms of energy savings and environmentally friendlyactivities.017