Stavros Dimas, EU Environment commissioner has said "If we look at the big picture the most serious global threat that we are facing is climate change. The challenges are considerable but the policy tools and the technologies are already available to move to a low carbon future. There are cost-effective solutions if we act now".

Following quickly on the heels of BC’s successful Climate Change exhibition, NSEW, last November, BC Ireland renewed its acquaintance with the Cultivate Centre when we co-hosted a full day conference on Rethinking the City on 22 June 2006. People from a variety of backgrounds shared experience and opinions on implementing sustainable development initiatives for the cities of tomorrow. The conference followed the café format where short presentations were followed by facilitated discussions at each table. One participant wrote "The café discussions are a very good idea and really make the event more interesting than simply listening to one speaker after another". Contributions came from, among others, Professor Sue Roaf, Oxford City Councillor; Gavin Killip, Oxford University; Dick Gleeson, Dublin City planner; Paul Evans INREB and David Healy, Fingal County Council.

Climate Change and related issues are still a core concern of British Council’s science programme for 2006/07 and Rethinking the City: Towards Zero Carbon Cities was the first in a series of 3 we are running with Cultivate. The second, Rethinking Design: Towards a Low-Carbon World, takes place on 13 October 2006 at the Cultivate Centre in Essex Street. The urgency of building an effective and integrated response to the twinned pressures of climate change and energy scarcity present an opportunity for developing a wide range of new products and technologies that use less fossil fuel. The conference aims to present a range of projects and strategies from Ireland and abroad and explore the best ways to both stimulate our indigenous design sector and to develop productive international collaboration for sustainable solutions.

For further details and booking information on the October event contact Erik Van Lennep at 6746396/6745773

erik@cultivate.ie