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Every German citizen produces an average eleven tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) a year, a figure that is far too high. Germany must reduce its GHG emissions by 2020 by at least 80-95 percent over 1990 levels. This is only possible if climate-conscious consumers respond to rigorous climate policy standards with action.
Climate-conscious consumption is about more than reducing GHG emissions ’just a little’, it is about much higher more demanding climate protection objectives. The new Federal Environment Agency (UBA) brochure entitled Klimaneutral leben: Verbraucher starten durch beim Klimaschutz brings a new dimension to the public debate about green consumption. It identifies so-called big points in green consumption that harbor great savings potential in our daily lives.
UBA President Jochen Flasbarth underscores this, commenting, “We can already start to implement some key features of climate-neutral lifestyle in our private lives. The new brochure motivates citizens to lead the way, ahead of policy initiatives. It offers incentives and ways to bring ever more people to behave more climate-consciously.”
There are five characters in the brochure on the path to a climate-neutral life. There is Sabine T. who wouldn’t dream of “doing without“, or Linus L. who has no time for the details in his daily life. Both of them make use of their means to reduce GHG emissions effectively in a way that their lifestyles can accommodate.
The brochure also illustrates that green consumption is not a private matter, but rather a matter of public concern. There are many ways and means, in addition to one’s own CO2 savings, to encourage others to follow suit, which range from making use of renewable energies to receiving remuneration for one’s own CO2 emissions, or membership in an environmental association. Progress in climate protection is made as a growing number of people in Germany make a commitment to live and act green.
The Klimaneutral leben: Verbraucher starten durch beim Klimaschutz brochure (in German only) can be downloaded from: http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-medien-e/4014.html
The UBA CO2 calculator is here:
http://uba.klima-aktiv.de/umleitung_uba.html
Dessau-Roßlau, 29 September 2010
