EU commissioner urges urgent action on climate change

By Jainarine Deonauth in Hong Kong

Climate change is being featured on the agenda of the 19th Consumer International World Congress, currently being held in Hong Kong, where over seven hundred delegates from more than 60 countries are engaged in discussions and debates on important issues affecting consumers worldwide.

Delegates at the 19th Consumer International World Congress, including Jainarine Deonauth, a representative of the Guyana Consumers Association

In delivering the keynote address at the official opening ceremony, Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner for climate action, called on consumers worldwide to take urgent individual action on climate change by changing lifestyles and consumption patterns in an effort to contribute to a healthier and friendlier environment. In outlining the crucial role consumers can play in the fight against climate change, Hedegaard warned that the world cannot continue ” business as usual”, as there is need for everyone to buy in to the idea of sustainable consumption. She noted that the planet is threatened with our lifestyle, and if we continue to use resources the way we currently do, we are exhausting the planet’s reserves at an increasingly rapid pace. “Governments can set the framework with their policies; set targets, define standards, give incentives to make companies go green. Businesses and industries, together with researchers, can provide the solutions; but, in the end, the consumers have the power of the purse, whether they buy green products or not,” Hedegaard pointed out. In pressing the need for a global approach to sustainable consumption amongst citizens, the commissioner said that the world’s population is growing, as more than a billion new people will enter the middle class by 2050, and if they adopt the same consumption patterns as their counterparts from industrialised countries, the global use of resources will be multiplied by 15, which is considered dangerous for our planet.

Hedegaard made reference to the extreme weather events, such as floodings in Pakistan and Brazil last year, and the dramatic floodings in Australia at the beginning of this year; and she noted that the consequences of these events impact consumers all over the world, as food prices are soaring. “Climate change is a threat multiplier.

“All these events are compelling reasons for making the transition to a sustainable growth and consumption model,” she argued.

In what she referred to as the ‘ green’ model, Hedegaard explained that it is a model that reduces our ecological footprint, emits less greenhouse gases, uses less energy and raw materials, and can create new sources of growth and employment. In this regard, she highlighted the need for more public education, and for consumers to understand that ‘green’ is not just a slogan for environmentalists, but a new way of organising our economies in order to provide a good life for everyone. Hedegaard added that consumers play a crucial role in defining our consumption patterns, and can in a way also contribute to the fight against climate change. For example, she pointed out, there is need for consumers to reduce the level of energy they use, noting that the money saved on energy could be used instead in developing climate- friendly technologies and appliances, or smart infrastructure which in turn could generate new sources of growth and employment.

“On a global level, more than 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are related to household consumption. People cause C02 emissions as they heat, cook, and light their houses. This absorbs 11 per cent of global energy,” she explained.

Further, Hedegaard argued, cutting emissions does not necessarily imply worsening of living standards for citizens. She reasoned that the European experience shows that it is possible to decouple emissions and economic growth. She referred to the fact that, since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU have decreased by 13 per cent; whereas the economy grew by more than 40 per cent in the same period, and manufacturing increased by more than a third.