1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,000 This morning Stefano Schio is using his car to go to the Venice Town Hall where he works. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,920 He drives a few kilometers before arriving at a transit car park which was created recently 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,480 by the Venice City Council. 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,240 After a short wait, he gets on a bus. 5 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:26,960 He'll not have to walk for more than a few minutes before he gets to his office. 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:31,960 I believe that using public transport is a good solution to obtain a better quality of 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,200 life. 8 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:42,400 It is also a question of ethics and principle. 9 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,760 Every citizen should use public transport more often to go to work or to get around 10 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:55,600 and avoid creating even more pollution. 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:00,520 The European Union is launching a vast awareness campaign to encourage all Europeans to adopt 12 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,440 this type of behavior. 13 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,480 The objective is to make all citizens aware of the problem of climate change and get them 14 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,880 to take action. 15 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:13,560 If Stefano is taking action now, it's because he's already aware of the problems created 16 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,560 by climate change. 17 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,800 As a Venetian, he knows the effects. 18 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,760 Here in Venice, this global phenomenon is already showing its effects very visibly, 19 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:28,160 especially in the form of increasingly frequent flood tides. 20 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,560 This rise in the sea level is one of the many consequences of global warming. 21 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,560 To stop this phenomenon, we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that increase global 22 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:37,880 warming. 23 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,820 This is a challenge which most of the industrial nations committed themselves to by signing 24 00:01:41,820 --> 00:01:43,840 the Kyoto Protocol. 25 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,880 One of the targets is carbon dioxide, in other words CO2, which accounts for 9 of the 11 26 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,160 tons of greenhouse gases emitted on average by every European each year. 27 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:59,640 To cut emissions, road traffic and energy consumption need to be reduced. 28 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,600 For us, the Kyoto Protocol is the real objective, and the danger is really linked to climate 29 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:05,600 change. 30 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,720 It is profoundly felt in Venice, and that is why we try to take all the actions that 31 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:11,280 we possibly can. 32 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,600 We try to set ourselves objectives which go further than the Kyoto Protocol. 33 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:23,240 We want to reduce CO2 emissions, not by 5.5% as foreseen in the Protocol, but by 20%. 34 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:28,520 It is a very ambitious objective. 35 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:35,120 In 2003, Venice adopted its Municipal Energy Plan, a program which aims at reducing CO2 36 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:39,000 emissions from all these sources in a systematic manner. 37 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,320 Under the plan, 80 specific projects have been developed to reduce the consumption of 38 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:47,200 fossil fuels in the municipality. 39 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:52,040 Here waste is transformed into fuel in the form of granules, and these feed this power 40 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,360 plant. 41 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,560 Some public buildings, such as this library, are equipped with photoelectric panels which 42 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,480 produce part of their electricity. 43 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:09,240 These traffic lights use low-consumption diodes. 44 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,480 And in the town hall, Limerano chandeliers have been equipped with energy-saving light 45 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,800 bulbs. 46 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,720 Several mobility projects target the reduction of automobile traffic and the promotion of 47 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:22,480 public transport. 48 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:28,120 But in Venice, automotive transport also includes the boats. 49 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:37,360 The city wants to promote the use of less polluting fuels, such as LPG. 50 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:42,040 The starting point of this project is the observation that there are 20,000 private 51 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:47,800 boats in Venice which are powered by petrol and which contribute largely to air and water 52 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:49,520 pollution. 53 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:55,200 Therefore, we launched a four-year project at the end of which we want to have converted 54 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:12,320 Obviously, to achieve this, 4,000 boat owners have to agree to convert their engine and 55 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,080 to change their habits. 56 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:21,120 Do the Venetians agree to follow the initiatives taken by their city? 57 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:26,080 I would like to answer yes to you, but it is an activity that the administration has 58 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:32,120 to perform through participation, make everybody understand that administrative actions are 59 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:38,840 a response to problems that require an active participation from our citizens. 60 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:43,480 To encourage participation, the city of Venice has launched educational and awareness campaigns 61 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,320 so that all Venetians can play their part in these numerous initiatives. 62 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,320 Don't abandon the transit car parks. 63 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:54,640 Do use public transport and copy the examples of energy efficiency employed in public buildings 64 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:55,640 at home. 65 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:02,680 They are interested, especially because all of the energy-saving initiatives mean lower 66 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,040 domestic energy costs. 67 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,760 What is important is that they know that through certain behaviour, by using certain electrical 68 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:15,400 household appliances, small changes, the family costs will decrease. 69 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,000 Therefore, they are really interested. 70 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:25,360 The traffic limitation measures haven't gone down so well. 71 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,320 These small changes in behaviour that Venice wants to get from its inhabitants are what 72 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,880 the European Commission would like all Europeans to make. 73 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,720 This is the purpose of its communication campaign. 74 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,000 Using different media, it will be centred on the small everyday actions, for instance 75 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:46,000 travel, waste recycling and energy savings which can contribute to reducing greenhouse 76 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,720 gas emissions. 77 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,520 A major part of the campaign is dedicated to schools which can play an important role 78 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,920 in this area. 79 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,440 Let's go now to the suburbs of Prague in the Czech Republic. 80 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,600 Ondrej is 14 years old. 81 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,080 As he does every day, he's going to school with his little sister. 82 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,160 He takes the bus, both because it's easier, but also because his school has encouraged 83 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,720 energy saving for a long time. 84 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:14,160 A member of the EcoSchools network, it has put ecology and energy at the heart of its 85 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,680 curriculum for the last 15 years. 86 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:23,360 Ecology is not only a subject that is taught as such, but it is an integral part of all 87 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:31,600 the subjects taught in this school, such as chemistry, mathematics, biology and physics. 88 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,040 It's physics class. 89 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,120 The pupils have to estimate the quantity of electricity needed to boil some water and 90 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:42,000 then calculate the price. 91 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:47,120 So the principles of energy efficiency are part of the curriculum, but they're also part 92 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,880 of the daily behavior adopted by the pupils, who are encouraged to sort waste and not to 93 00:06:51,880 --> 00:07:00,360 heat and light classrooms when they're not being used. 94 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:05,200 I can say that for most of the pupils, the things learnt and practiced here are remembered. 95 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,840 They will be capable of putting it into their heads and of applying them. 96 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:13,320 This is our objective, to turn these children into adults who are capable of behaving in 97 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,720 a responsible way towards the environment and protecting it. 98 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,840 But what happens after school? 99 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:24,600 When Andrei goes home, he doesn't forget to take the lessons learnt at school with him, 100 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:29,600 for example by not leaving his computer screen switched on without a reason. 101 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:37,520 But he's also influenced domestic habits in the family. 102 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,680 We sort out our waste by separating the paper, the plastic and the glass. 103 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:48,600 Every morning, we take all of the previous day's waste to the recycling containers. 104 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:55,840 In our apartment, we only use energy-saving light bulbs. 105 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:02,520 The children collect used batteries and paper at school. 106 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:07,880 At Kyoto, the European Union committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% 107 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,320 by 2012. 108 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,960 But it's clear from changes in the climate already underway that there will have to be 109 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,660 much bigger cuts in global emissions after that. 110 00:08:15,660 --> 00:08:19,840 The participation of all Europeans will be necessary to win the battle against global 111 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:20,840 warming. 112 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,520 The campaign will suggest that they adopt new habits.