In June 2008 the British Council launched Challenge Europe - the European element of its global climate programme. The Challenge Europe is a three-year campaign that aspires to make a definite and lasting impact on the climate change debate.

In 2009, Challenge Europe is taking place in 15 countries across Europe: Czech Republic, Denmark,Greece, Finland, Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) Hungary, Ireland (the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine.

In each of the fifteen countries 15-20 young influencers, aged 18-35, will work together as Climate Advocates to unearth new ways to reduce carbon use or utilise methods already found but not yet properly exploited. Each group offers a broad representation of skills, attitudes and ideas from all walks of life, working across disciplines to seek, gather, develop and then refine scores of ideas to agree just three concrete concepts.

The groups will pitch these ideas to broader publics, including eminent experts, philanthropists, commercial organisations and entrepreneurs across a range of fields in an effort to turn the ideas into reality.

Throughout the programme, the British Council will actively partner with a number of organisations across Europe spanning all sectors; including the corporate, non-governmental, environmental and academic worlds. Through these partnerships, the British Council will support these young Europeans on their quest, offering them access to some of the best minds in Europe through established networks of expert groups and individuals. They will delve into current knowledge, merge new thinking with old and formulate concepts that will fundamentally change the way we use carbon. Their ideas could address how individuals make a real difference, how businesses put low carbon initiatives into practice., how to interact internationally to reach the reduction objectives - absolutely anything they faind a good solution to the problem of climate change.

Umanotera, Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable development is our main partner organisation for the project in Slovenia.

The philosophy of the campaign is simple: to create momentum through collaboration, innovation, energy, drive, passion, understanding and knowledge-sharing.

For more information please contact Adriana Dvoršak. You can read more about the project on the Challenge Europe website.