Climate Broadcasters Network - Europe

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The Climate Broadcasters Network - Europe (CBN-E) connects media meteorologists and weather forecasters from all over Europe. The members of the CBN-E use their high public profiles and personal credibility to raise awareness of one of the greatest challenges facing our world today: climate change.

Tomàs Molina
CBN-E President (Spain)

"Our network can raise awareness about climate change in the European Union and worldwide, by communicating developments in climate science in an easy to digest’ way. We can emphasise the importance of individual and collective actions in climate change mitigation and adaptation to global warming.
The network can help build cooperation strategies on a national and pan-European level. CBN-E is a powerful tool to inspire action, through our members’ commitment to inform Europeans and to mobilise climate acti on worldwide."

Jesper Theilgaard
Member of the Core Group (Denmark)

"The network CBN-E gives me the opportunity to hear all the news about climate change and at the same time discuss the matter with colleagues around Europe. This is particularly interesting because climate change presents different risks and problems to different countries.
Joining the network gives you a feeling of not being alone in your efforts to raise public awareness of climate change."

Marina Raibaldi
Member of the Core Group (France)

"The network supports my efforts to inform people about climate change. This happens through tools like this brochure, but also through the exchange I have with my colleagues by phone or in meetings.
Here you can see me with my hiking backpack close to Lake Creno in Corsica. I am setting an example for people, walking and talking about climate change, instead of taking the car."

Gerald Fleming
Member of the Core Group (Ireland)

"From the searing Spanish sun to the frozen Finnish tundra, the history, culture and very character of Europe has been forged in its myriad climates. Slowly, subtly, these climates are changing. As weather broadcasters, who bring Europeans their daily weather, we must now bring the news of bigger changes – and explain how the people of Europe can be leaders in preventing these changes from becoming catastrophic. The Climate Broadcasters Network can enable and empower."

John Teather
Member of the Core Group (United Kingdom)

"Certainly the whole world will be challenged by climate change, not least, those who actually broadcast the weather. The public look to their friendly weather presenters to help them understand how a changing climate is going to affect them.
The CBN-E provides a forum through which weather broadcasters can exchange views, attend conferences and training sessions and learn how other colleagues are communicating climate change. It emboldens and empowers all of us who are involved in broadcast meteorology to ensure we know the science and how to tell that story to our viewers and listeners."

Jaroslaw Kret
Member of the Core Group (Poland)

"CBN-E gives weather presenters from the whole of Europe a great opportunity to speak with a united voice about all aspects of climate change. It gives us the opportunity to discover different approaches to the problem, which are as different and diverse as Europe is, and to find a common approach to the problem. It brings us together in a creative process – one of the greatest achievements of CBN-E so far."

What are the CBN-E members doing?

The CBN-E members are very active in communicating climate change; each one with his own means and within his own field of activity. Most CBN-E members are meteorologists who present TV programmes for the general public, inviting them to take action and change their habits. They are also university lecturers and get involved in schools, teaching future generations how to behave responsibly for the good of our planet. The CBN-E members’ activities take place worldwide: some write in general or specialised press, also hosting blogs or websites; others prepare special weather forecasts during events to deliver their message.

For instance, special editions of weather forecasts were organised during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2008 in Poznan (Poland) where an audience of over 8 million people was reached. The public was given a chance to understand the impacts of climate change and to discover some tips on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy in daily life.

You can read more about the resources and best practices of the CBN-E and numerous initiatives taken by members so far, on the network’s website www.cbn-e.eu. Watch videos, view presentations, and find useful links to books, newsletters and much more on man-made climate change and how we can prevent its damaging effects.

The network in brief

In February 2007, some 50 European meteorologists and TV weather presenters met in Brussels for the first time to discuss climate change and their role in communicating the consequences of these changes to the public – including all the challenges that this implies. This meeting, held in the context of the pan-European Climate Change Campaign launched by the European Commission in May 2006, led to the creation of the CBN-E.

Objectives

The main objective of the CBN-E is to convey information to European citizens on the complex matter of climate change drawing on the latest scientific research. By cooperating on best practices and transmitting information within the network, its members hope to raise the general awareness level on climate change, as well as the individual and collective sense of responsibility.

Structure

The network is coordinated by a Core Group of six network members who meet several times a year. Every two years, a President is elected to take on the role of primary spokesperson and Core Group chairman. At the moment the network comprises almost 50 members from all over Europe, but it is open to other countries as well. The Climate Broadcasters Network also cooperates and meets with other international meteorological networks.

How to become a member of the CBN-E

In order to become CBN-E members, all candidates need to confirm in writing that they accept the rules as specified in the network Charter. The Charter can be found on the website at www.cbn-e.eu, under the "charter" section. They also need to provide the CBN-E President with a motivation letter and provide the Secretariat with a biography and a photo to be uploaded on the CBN-E website. Applications made to the Secretariat at EECN_Secretariat@biois.com will be referred to the President. The President, after consultation with the Core Group, may invite individuals to become members.

Annual meeting

The network members at their annual meeting in 2008

All network members meet once a year during the annual meeting to discuss climate change issues and improve communication on the subject. Starting in 2009, the C3 – Climate Change Communication Award will be presented during the annual meeting to elect the best communication practice undertaken by members of the CBN-E. The projects will be presented by their authors at the annual meeting where a vote of all members will determine the winner of the Award. The winning project will be promoted on the CBN-E website and through the EECN newsflash.

EECN support to communication networks

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment supports the activities of networks in the field of environmental public information and communication, such as CBN-E, through the European Environmental Communication Networks (EECN).

"The purpose is to facilitate the sharing of good information and communication practices among the members of these networks and encourage coordinated action on a European level", explains Nicholas Hanley, Head of DG Environment’s communication unit. To read more on other networks, visit: www.ec.europa.eu/environment/networks/networks_en.htm.

EECN Secretariat

EECN Secretariat
Assistance is provided through the EECN Secretariat, currently run by the French company BIO Intelligence Service. Apart from practical support to networks (organisati on of meetings, sharing of information, managing the website, replying to enquiries of interested parties), the Secretariat is actively disseminating best practices to a wider public through the EECN newsflash and the website.

Regular newsflashes
The EECN newsflash is issued every month and distributed to subscribers both within and outside Europe. It deals with topics related to environmental communication and awareness raising. The readers are introduced to valuable on-line resources and learn about successful environmental communication campaigns. Some recent topics include the European Green Capital award which was conceived as an initiative to promote and reward environmental efforts and showcase and encourage exchange of best practice among European cities, and guides on how to organise events in an environmentally and climate friendly way.