As Energy Efficiency Week starts today [1], Friends of the Earth is calling on people to pledge to take the Climate Challenge and cut back on the amount of energy they use.

Emissions of carbon dioxide from energy use are contributing to climate change - one of the biggest threats facing the future of the planet [2]. It is clear that world leaders need to take urgent action to tackle the problem but everyone can do something to reduce the impacts of climate change by cutting back on the amount of energy they use.

Friends of the Earth's Climate Challenge - see www.foe.co.uk/climate_challenge or call 0808 800 1111 - starts from easy step solutions to saving energy at home and cutting back on car use, through to tougher steps to reduce your contribution to climate change.

Friends of the Earth's Climate spokesperson, Karine Pellaumail said:

"Now is the time for people to take action to tackle dangerous climate change, before it's too late. People can start by cutting the energy consumption in their home, reducing their car use or switching to a green electricity provider. Or they could go even further by installing renewable energy in their homes or getting their workplace, local school or hospital to install renewable energy as well."

Friends of the Earth's Climate Challenge has a scale of difficulty from one to three plus stars. The more stars, the greater the difference made to tackling climate change. For more information, see www.foe.co.uk/climate_challenge

1 star challenges

* Be energy aware: switch to low energy bulbs, fill the kettle with only the water needed, turn the thermostat down by just one degree, take showers rather than baths and only use a washing-machine on full load.

* Buy green electricity: Friends of the Earth recommends the following tariffs (in alphabetical order): Eco Energy, Ecotricity Old Energy Tariff, Good Energy (previously known as unit[e]), Green Energy 100, RSPB Energy.

2 star challenges

** Cut emissions from transport: take buses, trains or cycle and walk in preference to using cars or planes.

** Improve the energy efficiency of your home: install insulation in your loft or in the cavity of your walls, buy a condensing boiler. The Energy Saving Trust has information on what you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home, how to get grants and how you may be eligible for reduced prices on installing energy efficiency measures.

** Become an investor in renewable energy: with as little as £250 it is possible to join a co-operative through Energy4All, and become an investor in wind energy projects.

3 star challenges

*** Green your workplace: get your workplace to switch off electrical equipment when not in use, re-use and recycle paper and packaging, and encourage employees to cycle, share cars and use public transport to go to work.

*** Install your own renewable energy: be a renewable energy pioneer and install renewable energy in your home. Grants are currently available for up to 50% of the capital costs of installing renewable energy to help make it cost effective.

*** Adopt a renewable energy project: have a look at www.Yes2Wind.org, a coalition website which aims to provide information and resources for the public to support wind farms locally. Or find out about other renewable energy projects that are planned in your area by writing a letter to the planning department or local media.

*** Get a local institution or business to install renewable energy: encourage schools, hospitals, universities and businesses to invest in their own on-site renewable energy to meet some of their energy needs.

3 star + challenges

***+ Set up a group climate challenge: pledge a challenging challenge such as getting 50 people to switch to green electricity. You may want to join your local Friends of the Earth group first.

More information

[1] www.est.org.uk/myhome (on the web from Monday morning). For further information before Monday call Consolidated Communications on 020 7287 2027.

[2] www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate