Transcript Slide 1 - Visualweb

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1. Support the Development of Renewable Energy
Energy from this solar park at Sanlucar La Mayor in Spain is cleaner than
energy from oil or coal, while not posing the risks of nuclear power.
Renewables like solar could be central in cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
According to a report from the French think tank REN21, Germany and China
are the biggest investors in renewable energy, each contributing 7 billion
dollars to the total 30 billion invested worldwide in renewables in 2005. The
German government plans to supply half of the nationally energy consumption
from renewable sources by 2050. U.S. city Portland hopes to purchase 100
percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010. (Photo: Reuters)
2. Promote Sustainable Transportation
(Photo: Reuters)
• Colombian workers ride their
bicycles during "no car day" in
Bogota. Conventional
transportation accounts for
around 14 percent all greenhouse
gas emissions. City governments
can take effective steps to reduce
emissions by incorporating bike
lanes, sidewalks and public
transportation into
neighborhoods. The U.S.-based
World Resources Institute has
helped local governments in
some of the world's biggest and
most congested cities like Mexico
City, Shanghai, and Istanbul to
promote local public
transportation and improve traffic
conditions and air quality.
3. Cooperation with Other Governments
A global threat, climate change can only be tackled through
international cooperation. Countries like Japan and the United
Kingdom participate in the Kyoto Protocol, an international
agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Members of the
European Union trade emissions certificates to achieve costeffective emissions reductions. Some countries are exchanging
environmentally sound technologies and know-how through the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change. Non-binding
agreements, such as the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean
Development and Climate, are preferred by countries like the United
States or Australia that are reluctant to accept mandatory cuts.
(Photo: Reuters)
4. Influence
Consumer
Behaviour
The Subaru hybrid vehicle named "Elten" might not win a beauty
contest, but is highly efficient. Under a "green tax regime," an "Elten"
would be way cheaper than a conventional car. Many countries have
debated taxes on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to support
environmentally friendly products and services. The aim is to reduce
demand for carbon-intensive activities, such as air travel. Germany has
introduced the so-called Ecotax and the UK government raised taxes
on air fares in December 2006. The British government is also
investigating the feasibility of a system where every household would
have annual limits on the amount of CO2 it can emit. (Photo: Reuters)
• 5. Strengthen Environmental Education
Most political leaders agree that climate change is a
major challenge of the 21st century. The question is
how to mobilize the public to take action and vote in
favor of various climate policies. Governments
around the world have begun to fund educational
initiatives that inform students and the public about
what is already known about climate change. The UK
government, for example, offered a free copy of Al
Gore's film about global warming, An Inconvenient
Truth, to every secondary school in the country. The
move, however, has been criticized as presenting a
one-sided and incomplete view of the issue to
students. (Photo: Reuters)