The first year of this three year project is entering into the final phase, where Climate Advocates are now starting to communicate the ideas they have been delevoping over the past six months to the decision-makers and organisations that can help make them a reality. The ideas that they are developing vary dramatically depending on the situations in their own country.  Some of the highlights include the team in the Czech Republic holding a debate and a fashion show to highlight the lifecycle of clothing and responsible consumer behaviour. They have been working closely with some leading designers and in March, students from the Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture in Prague will display their low-carbon clothing designs.

The Advocates in the Czech Republic are also developing a number of other ideas including a guide for sustainable land management and renewable energy solutions for the home.

In Hungary, Advocates are working closely with Szent Istvan University near Budapest to develop a zero emission information centre which will be used as a venue to showcase climate friendly practices and as a base for conferences and events. Check out

www.klimairoda.hu for more information.

These Advocates have also developed a low carbon guide, a free magazine, which has the support of a number of celebrities. This has been circulated nationwide and people have been encouraged to ‘pass-it-on’ to avoid generating more waste.

A group of advocates from Ireland and Northern Ireland are setting up the S.O.U.L (Seasonal, Organic, Unprocessed and Local) food growing communities project. They aim to encourage more people to grow their own food by developing an all-island network of Community Food Initiatives, including an interactive website www.irishcommunitygardening.org and by drafting a national policy on community gardens and other non-commercial horticultural initiatives.

In Norway, The Class Act aims to improve the environmental performance of school buildings. Advocates are aiming to influence decision makers responsible for the design of school buildings, including the building of new schools and the renovation of older buildings, to ensure that they are at the forefront of green technology. This will allow children to be taught about climate change in buildings that are built as efficiently and are as climate friendly as possible. Currently the Advocates are working with local politicians, school-children, teachers and headmasters from nine schools across the country to be part of a pilot study that will inform the launch of a nationwide campaign.

Polish Advocates have hit the ground running and have already established a web portal in partnership with Nasza Ziemia (Our Earth Foundation), which uniquely provides advanced climate change information and resources in the Polish language. A second portal is underway focusing on practical day-to-day actions every Polish person can take.

In Denmark, Advocates want to create demand for a highly ambitious and effective climate policy by showing that it is feasible for Denmark to be carbon neutral by 2025. They are aiming to counteract public scepticism by highlighting the benefits for Denmark and the Danish economy through experts and celebrities.

Across Europe, plastic bags are causing a big headache and in Slovenia the Advocates are looking to address this issue by encouraging people to address the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle in their everyday use of plastic bags. To do this they are engaging a well known Slovenian designer to create a ‘cool’ reusable designer bag which will become an indispensible item for everyday shopping. The aim is to support this through the introduction of a plastic bag-free day and by encouraging the recycling of supermarket bags.

These are just some examples of great ideas that are happening all over Europe. There are a lot more exciting ideas and projects happening, and these are being implemented in very different and unique ways.

For further information about ideas from other countries visit the Advocate's projects section.