Europeans urged to act on climate

A campaign to convince Europeans they can help stop climate change is being launched by the European Commission.

The campaign is called "You Control Climate Change" and is aimed at showing how everyday actions can lead to cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions.

It will be launched by the Belgian prime minister and the EU's environment chief at Brussels' Manneken Pis statue.

The warnings about climate change are drastic - rising sea levels, melting polar ice caps, deserts getting bigger.

Against that, changing a leaky washer on a tap or turning a light off are small steps.

But the European Commission is pushing just such actions as a way for individuals to help fight climate change.

Households are responsible for around 15% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions. Private car use accounts for another 10%.

But the EU's record on climate change is mixed.

In a recent review, its flagship policy to cut greenhouse gases from industry was found to have miscalculated - thus taking away the incentive for companies to cut pollution or invest in clean technology.

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