Recommendations of conference on "Climate change and the ozone layer"
On 13 and 14 May 1996 a major scientific conference on "Climate change and the ozone layer" was organized by the European Commission in Brussels. It was attended by nearly 150 participants, including Commission representatives from the Community's Environment and Climate programme (DG XII). The conference aimed to draw up an overview of the current situation concerning climate change and atmospheric ozone research, and to formulate concrete recommendations. Concerning the current situation in the field, the participants expressed the opinion that global change was already occurring. They warned in particular of significant future changes in the chemistry of the lower atmosphere in the tropics. This region was emphasized as it already produces large amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Moreover, increase of the population and industrial development in this region are expected to have an impact on the global chemistry with consequences for global climate. The following recommendations were made as a result of the conference: - Research cooperation between industrial and developing countries should be promoted; - International cooperation is essential as it allows for the provision of comprehensive and global sets of data; - In order to achieve sustainable development, research on global change must be a priority; - A genuine exchange of knowledge between scientists and politicians is needed; - EC-supported research on climate and ozone has been very useful; - More links and interactions are needed between researchers and decision-makers.