ELDR group set up to find ways to combat climate change

A newly formed ELDR (European Liberal Democrats) climate change working group will be meeting for the first time on 11 September at the ELDR Party's headquarters in Brussels. The group meeting, entitled 'A Cross-Sector Approach to Tackling Climate Change', will be chaired by Lord Teverson, the UK's Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and includes liberal MEPs and MPs from across the European Union. MEPs include Lena Ek, the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) coordinator in the European Parliament's committee on climate change. She will talk about what the EU can do as a global leader in the fight against climate change, especially given that the Kyoto protocol is due to expire in 2012. Special guests will include the European Commission's Deputy Head of Unit for climate strategy, international negotiation and monitoring of EU action (DG Environment) Laurence Graff; Peter Vis, a Member of Cabinet for the EU's Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs; and energy giant E-ON Energy's Head of Public Policy Thomas Kästner. They will tackle the issue of how the EU's energy needs can be met in a sustainable, secure and environmentally friendly way. The group will also address how businesses can be successful in the face of the growing economic and social impact of climate change and what individuals and society as a whole can do to address the threat of climate change.