| Climate change and global warming - indeed, how | | | | reaffirm the need for global solidarity and |
| to control them - are becoming more central to | | | | recognizes the importance of strengthening our |
| politics with every new development. Sustainable | | | | work with partners outside the EU, including those |
| energy is the method of our times, and | | | | rapidly developing countries which will have a |
| government's across the globe are under | | | | significant impact on global sustainable |
| pressure - from each other, from environmental | | | | development." |
| groups, and from individuals - to implement | | | | So the E.U - acknowledging its role within the |
| genuine and successful 'green' policy. | | | | world's sphere - champions the importance of |
| The E.U is one of the biggest political organisations | | | | climate change as a global issue, and believes that |
| in the world. It comprises 27 member states and | | | | it should be treated as such. Its method for |
| under its banner are close to 500 million people. | | | | achieving that aim is to work closely and |
| The GDP that the E.U generates accounts for | | | | extensively with the world's other governmental |
| roughly 30% of the world. | | | | bodies. |
| In terms of the world's environment, then, it is a | | | | The SDS has 7 key areas of interest: |
| chief player. What is the European Union doing to | | | | Climate change and clean energy |
| combat global warming and climate change? And | | | | Sustainable transport |
| are they committed to the cause? | | | | Sustainable consumption & production |
| The official E.U website has this to say on the | | | | Conservation and management of natural |
| matter: | | | | resources |
| "Sustainable Development stands for meeting the | | | | Public Health |
| needs of present generations without jeopardizing | | | | Social inclusion, demography and migration |
| the ability of futures generations to meet their | | | | Global poverty and sustainable development |
| own needs - in other words, a better quality of | | | | challenges |
| life for everyone, now and for generations to | | | | Central, then, is the simultaneous need for a |
| come. It offers a vision of progress that | | | | maintenance of current ecosystems - to |
| integrates immediate and longer-term objectives, | | | | conserve and manage the continent's current |
| local and global action, and regards social, | | | | resources - combined with a development of a |
| economic and environmental issues as inseparable | | | | sustainable infrastructure for the future; |
| and interdependent components of human | | | | investment in clean fuels, plus solar energy, wind |
| progress. | | | | energy and biogas. |
| Sustainable development will not be brought about | | | | Indeed, the E.U - through its 7 SDS points - |
| by policies only: it must be taken up by society at | | | | recognises that environmental issues affect |
| large as a principle guiding the many choices each | | | | everything in our lives, because we are part of |
| citizen makes every day, as well as the big | | | | the environment, and so everything we do is |
| political and economic decisions that have. This | | | | affecting it also. As such, the E.U beleives that |
| requires profound changes in thinking, in economic | | | | 'Changing Behaviour' is imperative in the fight |
| and social structures and in consumption and | | | | against climate change: |
| production patterns." | | | | "A host of cultural, economic, social and |
| What is clear, then, is that the E.U see promotion | | | | psychological factors affect the way we behave, |
| of the message as central; a sustainable future is | | | | often locking us into unsustainable consumption |
| only possible with a growing conciousness and | | | | habits. Even those who say they will buy organic |
| willingness on the part of the public to accept and | | | | food for environmental reasons and the good of |
| encourage environmental policy and legislation. | | | | their own health may change their minds if |
| If the E.U can get its citizens to accept the | | | | products outstrip their budget." |
| challenge, though, what policy can be expected | | | | The overall challenge, then, for the European Union |
| from the organizations governments? | | | | - along with the rest of the world's nations - is to |
| The 'E.U Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS)' | | | | educate the next generation on the pitfalls of our |
| was established to answer exactly that question. | | | | own. |
| In its own words, the SDS will "gradually change | | | | That way, the E.U can guarantee that it does not |
| our current unsustainable consumption and | | | | return in the future to the issues that have |
| production patterns and move towards a better | | | | caused the problem in the first instance. |
| integrated approach to policy-making...[it will] | | | | |