Archived press release

Giant EU Energy Flag outside EU Spring Summit

1 March 2007

European citizens flag up their demands for green energy

On the morning of 9 March 2007, people from across Europe will be climbing up a huge frame to create a giant EU `energy flag' outside the EU Spring Summit in Brussels. Hundreds of people from Friends of the Earth groups across the EU will dress in blue and hold 2m-high golden energy stars, each showing a sustainable energy choice in its centre and adorned with the signatures of their citizens. The campaigners will demand that their governments "Stop climate change. Cut energy waste. Choose renewables", as Heads of States agree on Europe's future energy policy.

WHERE: Rue de la Loi, uphill from Rond-Point Schuman, Brussels, Belgium

www.foeeurope.org/giant_eu_energy_flag/map_action.htm

WHEN: 9 March 2007

• The Giant EU Energy Flag
  11:30-12:30: Finished installation in place. Speeches.

• The Giant EU Energy Flag comes to life
  10:30-11:30: People climb up on to the scaffolding structure of the flag, stars hoisted up into their positions, banners unfurled.

• March with the Golden EU Energy Stars
  9:30 - 10:30: Participants march with signature-laden 2m high "Energy Stars" from Porte de Tervuren through Parc Cinquantenaire to the top of Rue de la Loi.

WHO: Friends of the Earth groups from countries across Europe, representing the thousands of citizens who signed the 2m high "Energy Stars" in each country.

WHAT:

Please go to www.foeeurope.org/giant_eu_energy_flag to see a cartoon mock-up.

• Dynamic action, climaxing in a 12m by 14m installation of a mock EU flag. Each star will display the symbol of a sustainable energy choice in its centre. People from fifteen countries across Europe, dressed in blue and standing on a scaffolding structure, will form the basis of the flag.

• 2m-high golden energy stars in the installation will be adorned with the signatures of European citizens, collected in public actions across Europe over the previous weeks.

• A sea of banners, with the slogan "Stop climate change. Cut energy waste. Choose renewables" in the languages of all participating groups will surround the base of the flag.

• Music and speeches will provide an audio accompaniment to the visual scene.

Notes

Media briefing (PDF)

Media factsheets on climate and energy (PDF)

Background

The UK Government is set to present a draft climate change bill to Parliament in early March. The bill will be debated by Parliament before coming law. The Big Ask, Friends of the Earths climate campaign is calling on the Government to introduce a law that commits the UK to cutting its carbon dioxide emissions by three percent annually.

EU Heads of States will agree on 9 March on an Energy Action Plan for Europe. Friends of the Earth warns that, in its current form, this plan is too feeble to fight climate change. Each of the stars on the Giant EU Energy Flag represents one of Friends of the Earth's demands for Europe's energy policy:

• CUTTING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
  The Heads of States must agree to at least 30% emissions reduction by 2020 and 80% by 2050, in comparison to 1990. This is the only way to avoid catastrophic climate change.

• ENERGY EFFICIENCY
  It is crucial to put an end to our appalling energy waste. We need a concrete commitment to cut energy use by 20% by 2020.

• RENEWABLE ENERGY
  EU leaders must agree to more wind, solar and wave power. We need a binding commitment to meet, by 2020, 25% of Europe's energy needs from renewable sources such as wind, sun and biomass.

• NO NUCLEAR POWER
  We need a phase out of nuclear power: it is dangerous, expensive - another Chernobyl could happen any day - and nuclear power leaves a radioactive legacy for future generations.

• NO MORE FOSSIL FUELS
  There must be a phase out of subsidies for dirty energy - pumping money into coal and nuclear distorts the market by making dirty energy artificially cheap, when actually renewable energy is more economic.

• SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT NOT DIRTY OIL
  Europe badly needs unsustainable trends in the transport sector to be reversed - we need fewer and more efficient cars, tax on aviation fuel and expanded public transport networks.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust