Greener and wiser: an older people's manifesto on the environment



Published in May 2009 by the Greener and wiser task force, this manifesto gives positive recommendations on transport, energy and climate change, and waste and recycling.

"Age should not be a barrier to being green.

There are 20 million people in the UK aged 50 and over, including many who are actively involved in their community and in promoting green issues. Yet the environment is often seen as an issue for young people, with green imagery centred around children and a focus on environmental education in schools. The environmental views and concerns of older people, and their ability to contribute, are in danger of being ignored. The Greener and Wiser Taskforce, made up of 10 older people from around the UK, has been supported by Age Concern and Help the Aged, Green Alliance and Natural England. They have developed a set of clear and positive recommendations for change that will give older people a greater say on environmental issues, make greener choices easier and capitalise on their potential to help build more sustainable communities.
Their manifesto sets out what they expect of government, of businesses and of each other."


More information on the Green Alliance's website

Recently published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), this technical report introduces and analyses a pool of 52 pieces of research on scenario planning, commonly known as 'evaluative scenario literature'.

It presents a review of relevant academic and non‑academic literature on the issue and provides insights into:
• the types of scenarios that exist and those that work in different contexts, both in the public and private sectors;
• the characteristics that enable organisations to use scenarios more effectively;
• the ways that scenarios influence decision‑making processes and robust organisational strategies.

The report points to ways that public agencies could be organised to make better use of scenarios and methods to make scenarios more relevant to policy-makers. It concludes by describing the areas where evaluative scenario literature should focus to build up evidence that can ensure that scenario planning is of maximum value in policy-making.

Download the report on the EEA's website

The Danish foundation Realdania have asked the Scandinavian think-tank Monday Morning to create the Copenhagen Agenda for Sustainable Cities initiative, supported by the Danish Minister of the Environment.

Monday Morning asked 50 of the world’s most influential urban experts to share their thoughts about the key challenges facing urban leaders and to suggest a way forward. Representing all parts of the world and a wide range of disciplines, these experts agree that to make our cities sustainable, we need a radical change of mindset, new planning strategies and new methods of governance to support development and foster a new generation of urban leadership. The result of their considerations is to be found within 10 principles for sustainable urban governance presented in one publication.

To download the document, click here.

More information on this post: http://www.planetizen.com/node/27556

The interesting work of the American Post Carbon Institute is being translated at the urban level. This is being realised in the Post Carbon Cities Initiative.

Central to this approach is the publishing of the Post Carbon Cities guidebook. Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty is a guidebook on peak oil and global warming for people who work with and for local governments in the United States and Canada. It provides a sober look at how these phenomena are quickly creating new uncertainties and vulnerabilities for cities of all sizes, and explains what local decision-makers can do to address these challenges.

To read is also the blog run by the Post Carbon Cities Team.

Imagine partner, Munich, was the focus of a study in partnership with Siemens and the Wuppertal Institute aiming at looking upon the city's energy future.

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A news selection about renewable energy, documentary sources, trees, Copenhagen Summit, etc.

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20 20 by 2020 - The Commission is on the right track
Contribution by Simon Tilford of the Centre for European Reform in "Think global act European", a report by European think-tanks contribution to the trio of the French, Czech and Swedish presidencies of the union.
I extracted the table of contents and the "20 20 by 2020" paper.
It's also possible to download the complete report (336 p.) from the CER (Centre for European Reform) website or directly here.

MEPs pass resolution on adaptation to climate change
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on adaptation to climate change. The resolution was in response to the European Commission´s Green Paper on "Adapting to climate change in Europe - options for EU action". The Parliament welcomed the document, while calling for further measures to ensure security of food and energy supplies, and the availability, accessibility, use and conservation of water; urging for more action to strengthen the capacity of health systems to cope with the adverse effects of climate change as well as allocation of additional resources for innovative solutions.
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