ENCI-LOWCARB · European Network engaging CIvil society in Low Carbon scenarios

The overall aim of ENCI-LowCarb is to engage civil society in research on low carbon scenarios. This will be achieved by : - Creating a European network related to the factor 4 composed by Civil Society Organisations and research institutes - Elaborating two national studies (France and Germany) based on the confrontation between climate policies of low carbon scenarios and civil society organisations (social acceptability) - Disseminating the results to a larger public This project has direct relevance to the last developments of climate change european policies. The Spring Council of 8-9 march 2007 recognized that in order to stabilize the climate and to reach the 2°C objective, industrialized countries need to cut their greenhouse gases emissions by 30% by 2020 and by 60 to 80% by 2050 compared to 1990. In this context, the European Council endorsed an EU objective of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 as its contribution to a global and comprehensive agreement for the period beyond 2012. Policies able to reach these objectives still have to be conceived, and as there is not one single emission reduction objective common to each member state, there is no unique way to reach it. Discussions on this subject will take into account different national circumstances and potentials : French and German situations in particular will be analysed. But two main elements are decisive in implementing climate policies : of course their economic assessment, but also their social acceptability. The long term impact of the ENCI-LowCarb project will be to enhance the adoption by citizens and decision makers of the new behaviours which are required to reach the Factor 4 objective.