EU commission launches low-carbon contest

The EU Commissioner for Climate Action has today launched a low-carbon contest, calling on creative and innovative ideas from across the EU. The World You Like Challenge is part of the European Commission’s climate action campaign: A world you like, launched at London City Hall [pictured] in October 2012. Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: “The Challenge is a great opportunity to move beyond mere talking about climate change. By submitting your project, you help us show that building a world we like with a climate we like is both feasible and affordable.”

Starting today and over the next three months, all projects, big or small, coming from individuals or organisations based in an EU Member State will be considered, provided that their main aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This could be sustainable buildings or heating solutions; or innovative production processes that drives down greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills.

The dedicated website aims at providing a platform to showcase these projects and to honour the most creative, practical and effective ones, with for example the work carried out by RAU Architects in the Netherlands which have undertaken a number of projects for both the public and private sector, including the revamp of a 1950s laboratory into a CO2 neutral, self-sufficient building for the Dutch HQ for WWF.

In May and June visitors to the campaign website will be able to vote for the most creative and inspiring initiative amongst those short-listed. From the ten most popular projects, a jury led by Connie Hedegaard will select three winners, who will be honoured at the Sustainia Award Ceremony in Copenhagen in October 2013 hosted by campaign partner Sustainia, an international sustainability initiative – spearheaded by Arnold Schwarzenegger – which last month published a guide to a sustainable future.