Final Gala of the LIFE Project “Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere” – ecological revolution in the heart of Malopolska
On Monday, December 18, the final Gala of the LIFE project “Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere” took place at the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow. This unique event summed up eight years of efforts to improve air quality in Małopolska. During the gala, municipalities, institutions and individuals who played a key role in implementing the strategy to improve air quality in the region were honored.
Małopolska Voivodeship has been implementing the LIFE integrated project since 2016, which aims to implement the Air Protection Program for Małopolska Voivodeship. One of the key elements of the project was the creation of a network of Eco-managers, who play an extremely important role in building the environmental awareness of Małopolska residents.
Every eco-manager working in the LIFE project contributed to building this common success of improving air quality. Just a few years ago, there were 64 eco-managers in 62 communes in Małopolska, currently 249 eco-managers work in 177 communes.
– emphasized Józef Gawron – deputy marshal of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Małopolska is important for the whole of Poland and stands out from other provinces
Thanks to the LIFE project “Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere,” many solutions have also been implemented in other provinces and even at the level of the whole country. The Central Evidence of Emissions from Buildings (CEEB) was created on the model of the Heating Source Inventory Database, which was maintained in the Małopolska province. This was the first database of its kind in Poland, enabling the collection of information on heating sources in a standardized manner for the entire province. In addition, the List of Green Devices and Materials was created on the model of the Małopolska list of boilers and heaters. A new functionality inspired by the Małopolska Eco-Intervention application was created in the nationwide mCitizen portal.
Małopolska Province was the first region in Poland to join the ranks of beneficiaries of LIFE projects in the area of air protection in 2015. On the basis of your experience, other provinces in the country have begun implementing similar projects, including Opolskie, Wielkopolskie, Śląskie, Podkarpackie. Today it is safe to say that municipalities cannot imagine the functioning of their offices without Eco-advisors.
– noted Stanislaw Tworek – LIFE project monitor, supervising the project on behalf of the European Commission
Award ceremony
During the Final Gala of the LIFE project “Malopolska in a healthy atmosphere”, the commitment of municipalities in six categories was awarded. The success was mainly due to the Ecodoradors. Here are the winners of each category:
I. Educational Explosion category – winner Andrychów municipality
The Andrychów municipality was honored for distributing more than 442,000 educational materials, including leaflets, brochures, posters, etc. In addition, the municipality organized numerous ecological competitions, an educational campaign “Eco Lungs” and Earth Day celebrations.
II. Category Masters of Meetings – winner municipality of Świątniki Górne
The municipality of Świątniki Górne deserved the award for organizing more than 400 meetings in schools, kindergartens, with residents and local leaders. The events gathered more than 15,000 participants. Among the most interesting were the “Green Week” celebrations and classes on Renewable Energy Sources in elementary schools.
III. Category Media Magnetism – winner City of Limanowa
The City of Limanowa was recognized for publishing more than 1,600 articles in the press, Internet, radio, TV and other media. In addition, it distinguished itself by organizing environmental events such as; “Ecological Virtual Run for 5”, media actions within the framework of “Mobility Week” and “Green Week”, as well as the “Zero Waste” fair.
IV. Green Dialogues category – winner Liszki municipality
The Liszki municipality was awarded for providing more than 74,000 pieces of advice to residents. In addition, it implements environmental education among children, organized workshops such as: “Forest in a Jar,” a heat fair with a demonstration of ecological heating devices, and the celebration of “Clean Air Day.”
V. Category EcoRevolution in Lesser Poland – winner Skawina municipality
The municipality of Skawina has replaced 2,487 solid fuel boilers in recent years, carried out 2,797 inspections of compliance with the anti-smog resolution and the ban on waste burning. In addition, the municipality was the first to undertake the “Stop Smog” program.
Clean Air Champion special award to Krakow for a number of activities in the fight for clean air: including effective implementation of the air protection program, the anti-smog resolution, adoption of Poland’s first clean transport zone.
