Environmental education will help to sensitize the population, who, as consumers of private and public goods and services, will demand a high level of environmentally friendly alternatives. There are many ways of increasing environmental knowledge, both through schools and training facilities, and through a variety of channels in the community, the workplace and elsewhere. Communities, NGOs and the private sector can play an important role in environmental education. Programmes adapted to local priorities and needs can be established to promote initiatives and community-based efforts to improve the environment. It is at the local level that instruments to influence personal choice or encourage environmental friendly behaviour should be looked at together with measures to improve the quality of the urban environment and cities' environmental performance.
Citizens can help change consumption patterns in many ways, as consumers, workers and voters.
During the last two decades environmental attitudes and awareness among consumers have developed, but their new attitudes haven't always led to a change in action. Strategies to bridge this gap between attitudes and action need to be developed. Governments have an important role in creating more sustainable patterns of consumption. They are also consumers and producers, they possess many instruments for change, and can set good frameworks for local action. This meeting, the first of its kind, will help to encourage new sustainable consumption patterns.