This document provides an overview of key themes and considerations for choosing energy solutions in Europe: 1. Climate change is driving the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate global warming, as required by the Kyoto Protocol. 2. European countries want energy solutions that support economic growth while keeping costs low. 3. Solutions must achieve sustainable development by meeting current needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs. Cutting energy demand through measures like insulation, efficiency improvements, and renewable energy adoption can also help address these issues. No single solution can resolve the challenges, and all options have pros and cons.

1. Synoptic!
Think BIG PICTURE

2. You’ve got everything you need in the
booklet
• You’ll get a clean copy of the booklet in the
exam
• You must use it!

3. Big picture synoptic theme 1
• Climate change
– Global warming is the reason behind these difficult
choices.
– If it wasn’t for the scientific knowledge about climate
change and the influence of greenhouse gas emissions
we’d be burning coal (lots of it and cheap)
– We’ve ratified the Kyoto Protocol so we are legally
bound to reduce emissions
– It’s different for the Americans, who haven’t ratified
Kyoto, they don’t worry about CO2 emissions!

4. Big picture synoptic theme 2
• Economic crisis
– European countries are concerned about their
economic future – energy is vital to growth
– They need to keep costs down

5. Big picture synoptic theme 3
• Sustainable development
– Don’t forget to get a definition of sustainable
development in if relevant! “meets the needs of
today without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”.
– Whatever solutions are used they have to be
sustainable economically, socially and
environmentally.

6. A solution which isn’t mentioned
(you should)
• Cutting demand:
– Insulation (Green Deal in UK is supporting
householders improve insulation)
– Improving efficiency - modern engines and boilers
are continually improving efficiency (Government
has encouraged efficiency through road tax
reductions for lower emissions cars)
– Switch to renewables (Green Deal supporting
householders to install solar, Government
subsidising offshore wind)

7. Don’t forget - There is no magic bullet!
• No one solution is likely to resolve the
problems
– They’re not all equally useful/available in different
parts of Europe
– Being reliant on any one form makes countries
vulnerable to market changes/competition for
resources
– All the “solutions” have pros and cons