On the 11th of March, the Hungarian British Council Climate Advocates organised a Carbon Roundtable with the aim of providing a space for new way of talking about issues related to a low carbon lifestyle. The discussion touched upon the aftermath of COP15, carbon footprinting, innovation, efficiency and communication. It was a widely shared opinion that COP15 has had no effect on Hungary, that research and development cooperations are crucial, that appropriate state regulations are necessary and that education and communication must play a central role in the feasibility of a low carbon society.

What was different about this round table to any other conference was that it was not the usual experts, politicians and similar level of stakeholders meeting over a specific issue. The specific aim of this event was to bring together public representatives from different communities in Hungary and give them a voice on the issues surrounding the transfer of their country to a low carbon economy. Watch a video from the event here.

The participants had diverse backgrounds with people representing public administration, civil society, the academic world, journalism, as well as business. It not uncommon for these stakeholders to hold specialized conference but what they lack is the opportunities to talk to each other across borders of their community. Events such as this one allow these communities to develop a shared vocabulary on which to base discussions on the interests of the Hungarian society related to climate change and the relevant steps that should be taken. Moreover, this event was unique in another aspect: it deliberately targeted young decision makers who are more aware and more receptive of the problem, and who will be the future leaders of our society.

 The participants were organized around four tables, each discussing one of the following issue: sustainable consumption, sustainable mobility, solar energy and the built environment. Among the questions discussed were the following:
• What are the current trends in environment-friendly product design and what is the role of waste management in it?
• Are carbon labels an effective way of influencing consumer behaviour?
• What are the obstacles and opportunities in Hungary for developing sustainable mobility?
• What are the limitations and the unexploited resources of using solar energy in Hungary?
• Should the construction business focus on building new, more energy efficient houses, or on remaking old ones the same way?