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Climate Action
News article14 May 2013Directorate-General for Climate Action

Commission kick-starts public debate about climate change in southern and eastern Europe

European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard is launching a series of public events to engage European citizens in the climate change debate and to encourage individual action to combat it.

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European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard is launching a series of public events to engage European citizens in the climate change debate and to encourage individual action to combat it.

Over the next two months, Commissioner Hedegaard will hold a series of dialogues with citizens, companies and authorities in five countries in eastern and southern Europe on how to accelerate action against climate change.

The countries covered by the initiative are Portugal and Italy in southern Europe and Poland, Bulgaria and Lithuania in eastern Europe. Characteristic for all these countries is that public concern about climate change is on the rise, and the potential to reduce emissions through personal efforts is higher than in other European countries. Eurobarometer opinion polls have shown that Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Italy have a great potential to raise the level of personal action on climate change.

"Yes, with our personal choices, all of us can make a difference in the fight against climate change. I want to listen to citizens and discuss what we can do as individuals to act against climate change. Buying local or energy-labelled products, taking the bike or avoiding unnecessary waste of energy are some examples of easy habits. What is holding us back from doing the things that are obviously a good idea? I am looking forward to your input during these dialogues,"said Connie Hedegaard.

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Publication date
14 May 2013
Author
Directorate-General for Climate Action