Education and Outreach (Article 6 of the Convention)
Background
The importance of outreach
National strategies for addressing climate change can only succeed with the full engagement of the general public and important interest groups, or “stakeholders,” such as businesses and local policymakers. Since governments are directly responsible for only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), they must persuade businesses, communities and individuals to adjust their activities in a way that reduces their direct emissions. Otherwise, it will not be possible to realize the Convention’s objective and the Protocol’s targets.
Governments have several tools at their disposal for gaining public support. Policies can be used to raise the cost of activities that emit GHGs and reduce the costs of similar activities that do not. Regulations and standards can mandate changes in products and practices. Taxes and subsidies can be adjusted to influence behaviour. Such policies and measures, however, can engender opposition, particularly from those concerned about the imposition of a new cost. Public information and education is therefore vital for generating public support for such policies. It can also encourage voluntary changes in habits that will lead to lower emissions.
Many governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (IGOs and NGOs) are already working actively to raise awareness. The scale of changes required, however, and the vast number of people and interests that must be influenced, call for outreach activities of a greater magnitude.
How the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol respond
The UN Convention on Climate Change recognizes this reality: under Article 6 on Education, Training and Public Awareness, it calls on governments to promote the development and implementation of educational and public awareness programmes, promote public access to information and public participation, and promote training of scientific, technical and managerial personnel.
The Kyoto Protocol builds on this and calls on Parties to cooperate in and promote, at the national and international levels, the development and implementation of educational and training programmes, including the strengthening of national capacity building; and to facilitate, at the national level, public awareness and public access to information ((PDF) Article 10 (e)).
Paving the way for action
At COP 8 (New Delhi, October/November 2002), Parties adopted the "New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention ((PDF) decision 11/CP.8), a five-year country-driven work programme engaging all stakeholders, and recommending a list of activities that could be undertaken at the national level to facilitate the implementation of Article 6 activities.
To further develop and implement the New Delhi work programme, Parties requested the secretariat to:
* facilitate regional workshops that could advance the work on assessing needs, identifying priorities, sharing experience and exchanging information on related activities; and
* work on an information clearing house that would include information on existing resources.
To date, four regional workshops have been organised in Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific, and an additional workshop dedicated to the Small island developing States (SIDS)
Background
The importance of outreach
National strategies for addressing climate change can only succeed with the full engagement of the general public and important interest groups, or “stakeholders,” such as businesses and local policymakers. Since governments are directly responsible for only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), they must persuade businesses, communities and individuals to adjust their activities in a way that reduces their direct emissions. Otherwise, it will not be possible to realize the Convention’s objective and the Protocol’s targets.
Governments have several tools at their disposal for gaining public support. Policies can be used to raise the cost of activities that emit GHGs and reduce the costs of similar activities that do not. Regulations and standards can mandate changes in products and practices. Taxes and subsidies can be adjusted to influence behaviour. Such policies and measures, however, can engender opposition, particularly from those concerned about the imposition of a new cost. Public information and education is therefore vital for generating public support for such policies. It can also encourage voluntary changes in habits that will lead to lower emissions.
Many governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (IGOs and NGOs) are already working actively to raise awareness. The scale of changes required, however, and the vast number of people and interests that must be influenced, call for outreach activities of a greater magnitude.
How the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol respond
The UN Convention on Climate Change recognizes this reality: under Article 6 on Education, Training and Public Awareness, it calls on governments to promote the development and implementation of educational and public awareness programmes, promote public access to information and public participation, and promote training of scientific, technical and managerial personnel.
The Kyoto Protocol builds on this and calls on Parties to cooperate in and promote, at the national and international levels, the development and implementation of educational and training programmes, including the strengthening of national capacity building; and to facilitate, at the national level, public awareness and public access to information ((PDF) Article 10 (e)).
Paving the way for action
At COP 8 (New Delhi, October/November 2002), Parties adopted the "New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention ((PDF) decision 11/CP.8), a five-year country-driven work programme engaging all stakeholders, and recommending a list of activities that could be undertaken at the national level to facilitate the implementation of Article 6 activities.
To further develop and implement the New Delhi work programme, Parties requested the secretariat to:
* facilitate regional workshops that could advance the work on assessing needs, identifying priorities, sharing experience and exchanging information on related activities; and
* work on an information clearing house that would include information on existing resources.
To date, four regional workshops have been organised in Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific, and an additional workshop dedicated to the Small island developing States (SIDS)
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