Summary of LIFE Małopolska – March
Main events
- On 10 March, a free application “Eco-intervention” was launched, prepared at the request of the Self-Government of the Małopolska Region.
- The Małopolska Region submitted an application to the European Commission to implement the LIFE EKOMAŁOPOLSKA project “Implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Climate and Energy”.
- Meetings and events organised in March on the subject of air quality improvement gathered over 1 thousand inhabitants of Małopolska. The largest of them took place in communes: Liszki, Oświęcim, Kamionka Wielka, Skawina and Wadowice. The co-managers distributed a total of more than 25 000 information and educational materials and provided advice to over 11 000 inhabitants of Małopolska.
C.1. Eco-managers
Advice and help for residents
In March, Eco-managers employed under the LIFE program provided direct advisory assistance to the inhabitants of Małopolska in the following dimensions:
- 1657 people accepted in the office,
- 812 during site visits and meetings,
- 4493 by phone,
- 4419 in writing or by e-mail
They conducted 277 inspections of residents in the field of waste incineration. In 9 cases, violations of the regulations were found.
Surveys from residents and applications for funding
Eco-managers were involved in collecting questionnaires from residents and considering applications for funding.
In March:
- 198 questionnaires were collected from residents interested in using the subsidy,
- 156 applications of residents or entities for co-financing were examined,
- 137 agreements were signed with residents or entities for co-financing and 43 such agreements were settled.
Eco-managers have entered or updated data on 4320 buildings in the heating base.
C.2 Centre of Competence
New application “Eco-intervention”
On 10 March, a free “Eco-intervention” application was launched, which is available in the Play Store, App Store and also in a web version. It can be used to report, for example, suspicion of waste incineration, use of devices which do not comply with the requirements of the anti-smog resolution, illegal waste dumps or discharge of sewage into the environment. The information is automatically directed to the relevant local control authority. The reactions of the offices to residents’ reports are monitored by the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region.
List of low-emission heating devices
The list of low-emission solid-fuel heating appliances meeting eco-design requirements, available at www.powietrze.malopolska.pl, includes a total of 312 boilers and space heaters.
Eco-intervention form
In March, using the eco-intervention form, available at https://powietrze.malopolska.pl/ekointerwencja, 82 applications were received from 1 to 11 March, of which 82:
- 61 related to waste incineration
- 1 sale of poor quality coal,
- 1 breach of environmental regulations by entrepreneurs,
- 19 operation of equipment or combustion of fuels that do not comply with the requirements of the so-called anti-smoke resolution.
In March, 705 applications were submitted using the new “Eco-intervention” application available on https://ekomalopolska.pl/app/ekointerwencja/index.html and in the Play and App Store, launched on 10 March. Entrepreneurs submitted 39 reports on air pollution, while residents made as many as 420 such reports.
The hotline operated by UMWM answered over 100 telephone calls.
C.3 Support for the implementation of the ban on the use of solid fuels for heating in Krakow
The staff employed in the LIFE project are involved in the verification of applications and accounting for grants to replace boilers. In March:
- they carried out 14 durability inspections, 159 inspections of the ban on operating solid fuel equipment.
E.1 Regional media campaign for clean air
The next edition of the information and education campaign, presenting the benefits of replacing coal boilers with modern heating devices, has been in progress for a month now. The aim of the campaign is to inform about the antismog resolution in force in Małopolska. The campaign is addressed to the inhabitants of small towns in Małopolska, encouraging them to take advantage of subsidies under the “Clean Air” programme and thermomodernization tax relief. Billboards have appeared on the streets of Małopolska’s towns and cities. The action involved municipalities that joined in the distribution of educational materials. Each municipality received 200 leaflets and 20 posters (41,000 leaflets and 4,200 posters in total). Currently, a thematic newspaper is being distributed – it consists of 4 pages and focuses on anti-smog resolution, eco-intervention and forms of co-financing for the replacement of heating sources. The newspaper was distributed in 21 localities with a circulation of 81,000. In March, an Internet campaign was launched.
It consists in publishing sponsored posts on a fanpage:https://www.facebook.com/EkoMalopolska/. The posts are maintained in the same trend as the other parts of the campaign, which also met with great interest among the inhabitants of Małopolska. The campaign is implemented in cooperation with the Krakow Smog Alarm.
E.2 Local air protection information and education activities
Educational materials on air protection
Eco-managers in municipalities have prepared and distributed educational materials on air protection. In March they prepared 760 leaflets and brochures and 21 posters. They distributed 21 806 leaflets and brochures and 117 posters. In addition, they prepared 3746 and distributed 3826 other educational materials (children’s books and colouring books, pens, notebooks, reflectors).
Meetings and events
Eco-managers have organised numerous meetings and events:
- 6 meetings in schools and kindergartens, attended by 280 people,
- 9 meetings with residents, attended by 215 people,
- 16 meetings with local leaders (chiefs, mayors, representatives of Smog Alarm, PEC, energy advisors) with a total of 90 people,
- 5 other air protection events, attended by 495 people (heating equipment demonstrations, meetings with an eco-manager for business).
E.3 Creating networks for the exchange of experience with other projects
Social consultations of the Air Quality Plan for the Małopolska Region
The Board of the Małopolska Region has adopted a draft Air Quality Plan for the Małopolska Region. The project will be subject to public consultations, which will last until April 10th. Those interested may familiarise themselves with the proposed corrective measures and new obligations for communes, districts, entrepreneurs and all inhabitants of Małopolska.
LIFE EKOMAŁOPOLSKA “Implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Climate and Energy”
The Małopolska Region submitted an application to the European Commission to implement the LIFE EKOMAŁOPOLSKA project “Implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Climate and Energy” together with 25 partners. These are the Ministry of Development, the Silesian Voivodship, the AGH University of Science and Technology, the European Clean Air Centre, the cities of Kraków, Tarnów and Nowy Sącz, and 18 poviats of the Małopolska Region. In case of a positive decision of the European Commission, the implementation of the integrated project LIFE EKOMAŁOPOLSKA will start in January 2021 and will end in December 2030. The programme will promote the use of renewable energy sources, improve energy efficiency and implement EU climate protection aims.
E.4 Promotion of project implementation
In addition, in March, the Eco-managers also prepared:
- 14 articles in the press,
- 91 articles and posts on the Internet and community media
- They have used other media (e.g. wall newspapers and information boards) 35 times.
Additionally, the eco-managers took part in 2 radio or TV programmes which were related to the project.
F1. Project management
In March, an external financial audit of the second phase of the LIFE project was carried out. After the completion of the second phase of the LIFE Integrated Project, the Co-ordinating Beneficiary prepares a financial report on the costs incurred by all Partners of the LIFE Integrated Project. He is obliged to submit to EASME a certificate on the financial statement, presented by an external auditing company. This certificate shall apply to the 2 main Partners of the LIFE Integrated Project: Małopolskie Voivodship and Municipality of Krakow. The purpose of the external audit is to support the payments applied for by the Beneficiary under article l.4.1 of the Grant Agreement. The audit covered the period of the 2nd phase of the LIFE Integrated Project (01.04.2018-31.12.2019).
