Open Days University has focused its attention on one of the most important issues in the European Union and the world: climate change. Experts from different European regions have presented their proposals and concerns on the issue.

The room Alcide de Gasperi of the Charlemagne Building of the European Commission has been the scene of the second conference of Open Days University, the series of debates and conferences in which the Commission has called teachers and experts to discuss the themes that compose the Open Days 2009, European Week of Regions and Cities, organized by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions of the EU.

The Open Days 2009 will be a place for discussion about one of the mundial hottest topics of our days: climate change. A complete set of workshops and seminars will address the theme "Regions and climate change:Europe's way to sustainable regional development". This comes some weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

This debate focused on "Regional responses to climate change", and the solution was unanimous: think globally, act locally. Jirina Jilkovà, from the University of Economics of Prague, Millán Millán-Muñoz, from the Center for the Study of the Mediterranean Environment in Valencia, Jürgen Kropp, from the Institute for Study for Climate Impact Research, Nikitas Nikitakos, from the University of the Aegean, Eberhard Jochem, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research participated in a discussion moderated by journalist Jackie Davis and chaired by Georges Kremlis, head of the Cohesion Policy and Environmental Impact Assessments Unit in the Directorate-General for the Environment of the European Commission.

The opinions and views have been varied. All the speakers were unanimous in stressing the importance of the climate and energy package, but there were different views regarding the importance of issues such as financing. While some of the academics bet on a higher fiscal effort in this area, others noted that the money is important, but investing a good part of it in education and training in sustainable behavior and sustainable development is even more important.

The various european geographic profile has been a key in the debate. Islands, deserts, mountains, plains, floodplains and large live in Europe, and policies to stop climate change and enhance the conservation of the environment vary greatly depending on the region.

The speakers agreed that there is much work to do, especially in these months before the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, where the EU will propose an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, but that the course charted by European Union is correct, and that energy and climate issues should be at the forefront of the next programming period in order to remain at the "pole position" of climate innovation and to create a culture committed to environmental conservation.

In short, "Regional responses to climate change" appoints the conclusion that climate change is bad for society, but may create new jobs and it stimulates creativity, new technologies and the green economy. The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to leading global position in favor of the fight against global warming and greenhouse gas emissions in the next United Nations Summit on the subject in Copenhagen.