green spider network How European Governments address environmental and climate issues. How European countries aim to protect their pollinators – and fertile farmland Measures towards a circular economy Adressing civil society: How citizens can participate in water protection
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he EU has been a driving force in the fight against environment risks: global warming, water and air pollution, environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources. It has some of the world’s highest environmental standards, protecting nature and people’s quality of life, greening the economy, and achieving careful and considerate use of natural resources. However, despite significant progress in recent decades and ambitious policies on the climate and circular economy, many trends are still going in the wrong direction. Problems like dramatic biodiversity loss, the unsustainable use of resources and rapid climate change are more of a threat than ever before. Confronted with these challenges, Europeans are calling for urgent action to be taken. Some 95% think that protecting the environment is a priority, and 72% are calling for more action at EU level on environmental policy. The message from Europe’s voters, and those too young to vote, is loud and clear: they want action to address the climate emergency and want Europe to lead the way. In record time – after only 11 days in office – the von der Leyen Commission adopted a Communication that was radically new. The European Green Deal aims to deliver a different kind of growth. For the first time in Europe’s history, the number one priority will be competitive sustainability for the future. EU leaders immediately welcomed the plan, endorsing it at a European summit. Such swift recognition is a reflection of a simple truth. All around the EU, there is a growing realisation that it is time for a different approach. The Green Deal is Europe’s answer not just to these climate and environmental challenges, but also to the social challenges they bring. It is a strategy with justice and equality at its heart, pulling together all sectors of the EU economy, with people, prosperity and the p lanet to the fore.
Whilst a long-term project, some of it will be put in place next year. We can look forward to a proposal for a just transition mechanism, a sustainable Europe investment plan, a proposal for a European climate law, and the Farm to Fork strategy, all in the space of the next 12 months. Three further elements will be particularly important for the environment portfolio. The new Circular Economy Action Plan should arrive in the first quarter of 2020, accompanying the EU industrial strategy. The plan will bring circularity to the mainstream, with the focus on construction, textiles, electronics and plastics. The aim is to transform these resource-intensive sectors into truly circular systems. Going circular is not just about recycling – it is about using design to avoid waste and emissions before they actually happen. The new action plan therefore underlines the importance of good design, promoting sustainability and durability. It will also give consumers more power by ensuring that they have reliable information on products and services before they buy. The new EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 will follow shortly after, outlining the EU’s position for the 2020 UN Convention on Biological Diversity (cop 15) in Kunming, China, in October. The EU will be aiming to protect, restore and mainstream biodiversity, while presenting global targets to protect biodiversity as well as commitments to address the main causes of biodiversity loss in the EU, underpinned by measurable objectives. The third part of the Green Deal involves moving towards the zero-pollution goal of a toxic-free environment. This should provide a set of measures to prevent and address pollution, obliging policymakers to live up to a central objective at the heart of the deal – Do No Harm. As a Commission, our ambitions have never been higher. But we cannot deliver this agenda on our own. This deal aims to bring substantial change, and delivering on it requires extensive buy-in from interest groups, governments and citizens from across the EU. Our President has spoken of a new deal that brings together Europeans in all their diversity, with national,
Pict ures Istoc k.c om/edge 69, i sto ck. com/Lu ckyStep48, i sto ck. com/Din a Maria ni , istock .co m/Enis Aksoy, EU-Commission
The European Green Deal
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Table of contents r egional and local authorities, non-governmental organisations and industry working closely with the EU institutions and consultative bodies. I know that the Green Spiders can be part of this deal. As communicators, they have been raising awareness about environmental issues in Member States for 25 years, in a way that speaks to Europeans in terms of their own language, culture and values. This has never been more important, and I am sure they will continue to play a vital role in building acceptance for the magnitude of change ahead. We have seen how environmental progress can be achieved when we all pull together, and this publication demonstrates the remarkable efforts going on across the EU to keep this progress going. I look forward to a level of close collaboration that can deliver the deal that Europeans deserve.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries cab-sinkevicius-contact@ec.europa.eu
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Editorial
Nature and Biodiversity 04 Gamtukai: Little Nature Lovers in the Making 06
Hungary’s Heavenly Classrooms
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A Plan to Pollinate all of Ireland
Circular Economy and Plastic
08 Ditch the Plastic 10
Save the Seals
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10 Cents for the Planet
Water
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Baltic Research into underwater Noise
13 Why the Sea starts with you
impressum magazine is published by Biorama GmbH, Wohllebengasse 16/6, A 1040 Wien/Vienna; www.biorama.eu | www.biorama.media (Project lead: Thomas Weber, weber@biorama.eu; Graphic Design: Selina Alge, Michael Mickl, CoverMontage: Michael Mickl (Istock.com/ edge69/LuckyStep48/Dina Mariani/pixomedesign/Enis Aksoy/justinroque)) GREEN SPIDER NETWORK SPECIAL ISSUE In cooperation with the European Commission.
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How Water became active in Austria
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Danube Day
Air
biorama
16 Ozonko & Ozonc�ica: Croatia’s green Superheroes 17
Malta’s Green Outreach
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CleanAir @School
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How a Lithuanian school project is delivering theoretical knowledge about nature.
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n 29 March 2019, over 50 children from the primary school in Plungé attended a rather special lesson. It went by the name »Nature«. The mobile team from the Nature Mobile Study Studio came to Plungé with their set of modern and interactive teaching tools.
90 minutes of pure focus on nature.
The students were the last to enjoy this nature class as more than 50 other students had already taken part since February 2018. The Lithuanian Ministry of Environment set up the Nature Mobile Study Studio, which was funded by the EU. The studio visited schools and addressed classes in grades 1–4. The 90-minute lessons included a two-part 3D film about nature and conservation, live science experiments, special booklets on inanimate and living nature, and other educational material. All of these tools were developed in collaboration with non-formal learning professionals and natural scientists. The Gamtukai project has made science lessons an event suited to young audiences. After all, the goal of the campaign was to spark enthusiasm for environmental protection, nature and its secrets. To do this, the programme developers relied on eye-catching experiments. One pupil from Tuskulénai explained what she liked about the interactive nature lesson: »Oh, I liked the experiments! We ate frozen biscuits, steam came out of our mouths, and our teachers hammered nails into the table with bananas. Also, at the end of the lesson, the geyser exploded. It was a lot of fun.« The experimental approach used to spark the children’s interest was carefully chosen. According to Gediminas Petkus, the methodologist behind the project,
Bilde r Gamtu kai Proje ct
Gamtukai: little nature lovers in the making
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»Oh, I liked the experiments! We ate frozen biscuits, steam came out of our mouths« – pupil from Tuskulénaie waste separation, eco-friendly living and similar environmental topics are integrated into the curriculum. However, they forget to focus on theoretical knowledge. »Nature is constantly changing and is sometimes unpredictable, so practical knowledge of nature is one of the key components in education. Being in nature, you get all the sensations and experiences that are vital from an early age – these shape your personality, a ttitudes, values. Children who are detached from nature are afraid of insects, say that frogs and snakes are scary, that nettles only sting and are useless«, says the expert. am.lt
students who study nature more often get better marks than their peers in various subjects.
Theoretical know-how Ornithologist Gediminas Petkus, who has extensive experience in the field of children’s education, sees schools paying a lot of attention to nature education –
Science for pupils, starring: The Gamtukai project.
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Hungary’s heavenly classrooms
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a regular newsletter and a Facebook page for networking and sharing knowledge and experiences. In October 2018, a joint conference resulted in even deeper cooperation between the Foundation and the Deputy State Secretary for Environmental Protection, which will further strengthen Hungary’s school gardens. In addition, the government launched the National School Garden Development Programme. Besides the National Chamber of Agriculture, the international seed company Syngenta was recruited as a partner. In 2019, the Foundation received a grant of huf 50 million from the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture to implement the programme. On the scientific side, the programme is supported by the Faculty of Landscape Design and Settlement Planning of the Szent István University. One of the first schools to receive funding is the Sándor Csikesz Primary School of the Pécs ReNational school formed Church College. garden study Since 2012, its garden has been used for eduA network founded in 2015 cational purposes, which aims to improve the inteis some 1 hectare in size. gration of school gardens Hungary focuses on the value of school gardens to education. The school follows an into the teaching methecological approach and aims to conserve old and local ods of various schools. The Hungarian Foundation for plant varieties. The school plans to sell food grown in the School Gardens has around 200 members who supschool garden, with a student enterprise to be created port each other by exchanging information. The focus for this. is on exchanging educational concepts that emphasise the cooperative use of school gardens. Since the national school garden study was published, the network has eionet.kormany.hu experienced strong growth. The school garden initiative is primarily run by en- Contact: thusiastic and committed teachers who have a website, marta.zita.geller@fm.gov.hu
pictu re s pe lso cz y ca sba
chool gardens have been around for a very long time. For centuries, they have been used for teaching botany, gardening and horticulture. However, in recent decades, many of them have grown wild and remained unused despite being a valuable place for students to learn about sustainability, ecology and cooperation. These benefits have been utilised in a Hungarian project that focuses on the conscious use of natural resources. At the beginning of 2018, the Hungarian Parliament, the Klebelsberg Center and the Ministry of Education conducted a study with 1,118 school gardens throughout Hungary. It discovered that many educational institutions recognise the importance of school gardens. However, the study also found that many existing gardens face neglect and decay unless they are better integrated into everyday school life.
gree gre enn spi spide derr nneetw t woork rk
Natu Naturree / B / Bio iodive diverrsity sity
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A plan to pollinate all of Ireland 100 crops provide
How Ireland aims to protect its pollinators – and fertile farmland
pictu re s I sto ck.com/Ste ppeua, ist ock.co m/guru 86, Wear you r welli es to Church day/Carlo w
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reland’s bees are in trouble. Unfortunately, they share this predicament with the native bees of many other EU countries. In Ireland, this problem was recognised several years ago, and a comprehensive master plan was drawn up to ensure that plants could still be pollinated in a natural way based on stable and healthy bee populations. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan was launched in 2015 for a period of 5 years. The message was clear: »One third of Irish bee species are threatened with extinction. We know this because we have drastically reduced the areas where they can nest and the amount of food our landscape provides for them. We can stand back and watch this happen, or we can try to do something.« The plan consists of different groups of stakeholders. It includes farmers, councils and communities, businesses, public gardens, schools, faith groups and those operating transport corridors. They reflect on how to make the plan effective – after all, it is about creating space and protecting it.
81 individual actions For each of the different stakeholders, the plan offers a set of different actions that can help give pollinators the right environment to get their work done. The list includes 81 individual actions, which are assigned to five objectives. The participating organisations are encouraged to register their actions in an online mapping system that provides transparent monitoring and allows ideas to be exchanged nationwide.
90 % 71
of the world’s food
crops are pollinated by bees
Five clear objectives have been formulated: Making Ireland pollinator friendly
1 (farmland, public land & private land) Raising awareness of pollinators and
2 how to protect them
Managing pollinators – supporting beekeepers
3 and growers
Expanding our knowledge of pollinators
4 and how pollination works
Collecting evidence to track change
5 and measure success pollinators.ie
Contact: sheena.denneny@dccae.gov.ie
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Ditch the plastic How Czechia is gearing up to the 2021 single-use plastic ban by encouraging both companies and consumers to use reusable coffee cups.
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Richard Brabec, Czech Minister of Environment, chatting to customers about their shopping habits at the Prague farmers’ market.
waste shops and deposit systems for reusable coffee cups or takeaway meals. Barbora Smudkova from the Ministry: »More than 60 subjects have signed up to the initiative, and dozens have consulted with the Ministry on their packaging strategies or are supported by our communication.« To reach the public, the Ministry also cooperates with
pictu re s M zP
s part of the global issue of plastic waste, the urban to-go lifestyle and its alarming use of disposable plastic cups is a relevant issue for big cities around the world. »Do you really need all of those?« the Czech Ministry of Environment asks in its advertising campaign #dostbyloplastu (#enoughwithplastic) – each Prague citizen uses 250 disposable cups a year. Whereas other cities such as New York have banned disposable cups to reduce the amount of rubbish, the Czech campaign encourages locals to bring their own cups – by a ctively supporting cafés and restaurants that give customers who use refillable coffee cups a discount. »Dost bylo plastu« is an ongoing project and a voluntary initiative started by the authorities to reduce single- use plastic and, ideally, even other single-use materials. Companies like Vodafone – who started »Plastic Free Vodafone« – municipalities, non-governmental organisations, and individuals are joining the initiative by pledging to improve their single-use consumption in line with the specific actions and goals. »Our aim is to prepare the public for the 2021 single- use plastic ban by teaching them to use reusable packaging and containers«, explains Petra Roubickova, spokesperson at the Ministry. In addition, the campaign aims to support both companies that reduce their own waste and companies that create and set up intelligent reuse systems, i.e. zero
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Prague’s most popular farmers’ market Náplavka, where the Minister of Environment Richard Brabec discussed the issue with customers who had been invited to fill in questionnaires on single-use vs. reusable products and their own habits. The Náplavka market is a weekly market with 100 stands held each Saturday, where thousands of locals come to buy regional food. Equipped with reusable bags, they are invited to start using them while shopping. cr2030.cz/zavazky/dost-bylo-plastu Contact: barbora.smudkova@mzp.cz
Advertising campaign to raise awareness as Prague citizens each use 250 disposable cups a year.
» More than 60 subjects have signed up to the initiative, and dozens have consulted with the Ministry on their packaging strategies or are supported by our communication.« – Barbora Smudkova, Ministry of Environment
Customers at Prague farmers’ market Naplavka fill in questionnaires and get free refillable coffee cups.
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How Slovenia is planning to reduce plastic carrier bags to 40 per person by 2025.
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hey are light, strong and really cheap: there are many practical reasons why plastic bags are popular with consumers. There are also many reasons not to use them – especially the smaller ones used for loose fruit, vegetables and bakery items. They are often thrown away even faster than regular plastic bags. If they are not recycled, they are a huge waste of non- renewable resources and do not break down completely for hundreds of years. To reduce the use of plastic carrier bags to less than 90 per person by the end of 2019 and to less than 40 by 2025, the Slovenian Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning launched the campaign »I have my own carrier bag«. With the main focus on children, cartoon-like illustrations were used to drive home the campaign’s key messages. An albatross, seagulls, turtles and seals were used to emphasise the negative effects of carrier bags and
icroplastics (small plastic bits) on marine life: »Anim mals can become entangled in plastic carrier bags, and are then unable to feed, swim, run or reproduce. They can also suffocate. Animals may mistake carrier bags floating in the water and other plastic waste or microplastics for food«, a flyer explains. Asking the question »What can do today?«, the campaign proposes a simple call to action: »I have a choice: So I bring my own bag! I use each bag several times. I dispose of the used plastic carrier bag in the packaging waste container.« The campaign is supported by supermarkets (Spar, Hofer, Lidl), the Ministry of Education, numerous trade associations and non-governmental organisations.
mop.gov.si Contact: saso.voros@gov.si
picture s fo lder: Mini stry o f the Environment and Spatial Planning, Republic of Slovenia
Save the seals, bring your own plastic bags
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10 cents for the planet pictures istock.com/goir, istock.com/alenapaulus
How Portugal is taxing plastic bags – with tremendous success.
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t the end of 2014, Portugal published a law to start taxing lightweight plastic bags that are less than 50 microns thick and are generally used for shopping (not the smaller ones used for loose fruit, vegetables, meat and fish). Instead of handing them out for free, shops, restaurants or other businesses began to charge 10 cents per bag. This system, which was launched in February 2015, led to a gradual reduction in the number of plastic bags between 2015 and 2018 (except those used for charity donations). The EU target is 90 bags per person by 31 December 2019. In 2018, Portugal reduced this number to 5.9 bags per person. The reduction in the production of these plastic bags is also reflected in the level of export/shipment, with a decrease of more than 60% between 2015 and 2018. Given these results, the measure has had the desired effect of reducing the number of lightweight plastic bags used in Portugal and encouraging consumers to opt for more environmentally sustainable solutions like reusable bags. apambiente.pt
Portugal’s programme to encourage people to use reusable bags was a resounding success.
Contact: mjoao.amaral@apambiente.pt
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Baltic research into underwater noise
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s underwater noise travels long distances, international cooperation is a must, together with reliable data. From 2012 to 2016, the Finnish Environment Institute led an international project – Baltic Sea Information on the Acoustic Soundscape (bias) – to measure the level of man-made underwater noise. For the first time ever, the entire Baltic Sea was covered, and measurements were taken in 38 different places. Sweden, Estonia, Poland, Germany and Denmark took part in the project to help the EU’s marine waters achieve good environmental status by 2020.
Offshore wind farms generate noise Noise is caused by variety of activities at sea, such as shipping and marine infrastructure. It can change animal behaviour, disrupt communication, physically harm fish and marine creatures, and even endanger entire populations. The soundscape is vital to fish because they use sound and hearing to communicate, mate and to avoid predators. As both shipping and marine infrastructure (among others offshore wind farms) is growing, the joint bias project raised public awareness and produced a number of tools to help authorities plan how to best use maritime areas and reduce the harmful impact of noise. The measurements showed that the noise caused by shipping is highest in the southern Baltic region, particularly in the Danish straits. »Conversely, there are
»There are areas in the Gulf of Finland where man-made noise is very rare.« – Jukka Pajala, Finnish Environment Institute.
areas in the Gulf of Finland where man-made noise is very rare«, explains Jukka Pajala, senior adviser at the Finnish Environment Institute. Although the harmful impacts of noise vary according to the time of year, there is a lot more noise in winter. As water temperature and salinity stratification cause dramatic changes in the speed of sound and therefore affect how sound travels, new research data is needed to measure seasonal variations more accurately and to examine the sensitivity of endemic species. To raise awareness, the Finnish Environment Institute has published sound files of different noises. These include a small boat in the Archipelago Sea, a seismic blasting 200 km away, cracks of ice, a motorboat or a quiet summer’s day in the Åland Islands. syke.fi Contact: kirsi.norros@ymparisto.fi
Pictures Istoc k. com/Denys yel ma no v, Finni sh Enviro nmen t In stitute , Belgium’s Departmen t of Marine Environment
As shipping and marine infrastructure increases, Finland is measuring underwater noise that negatively affects marine life in order to raise awareness and develop strategies to minimise its impact.
Why the sea starts with you How Belgium’s Department of Marine Environment is encouraging people to protect the North Sea.
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e all have a connection with the sea: it regulates our climate by absorbing CO2 , provides oxygen, fish, seafood, sand, salt, wind energy and much more. Unfortunately, an average of 8 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in the sea every year – in other words: one full truck of waste every minute. An even bigger problem: it takes up to 450 years for plastics to break down completely, and the small plastic bits never truly disappear. As the North Sea and its inhabitants deserve our protection, the Belgian Department of Marine Environment launched an awareness campaign. Its key message – »You can help from anywhere: at home, in your kitchen and bathroom, in every drain…« – is summed up by the claim »The sea starts with you.« To give it a positive spin, the campaign delivered practical tips and advice for everyday life. This includes avoiding disposable plastics, using a reusable shopping bag and drinking bottle, buying unpackaged food and care products, not letting go of balloons, trying shampoo bars or not pouring leftover paint down the sink. theseastartswithyou.be Contact: mieke.vandevelde@health.fgov.be
The map shows the sound pressure level in the Baltic Sea. The median value was in a one-third octave band of 125 Hz in 2014. The map includes both natural and man-made noise. The largest shipping lanes are clearly shown.
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How water became active in Austria
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akes, rivers, water plants and huge reservoirs: water is everywhere in Austria. For children in Alpine regions in particular, it is easy to forget that water needs to be protected. Even in a country rich in water, the focus at all times must be on its availability and sustainable use. People need to be aware not only of the importance of water, but also its potential dangers. They are therefore regularly informed about how to reduce flood risks.
Getting people involved Encouraged by the EU Water Framework Directive’s requirement to get more people to partici pate, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism set up wasseraktiv.at in 2009. This platform aims to keep in r egular contact with interest ed members of the public. To encourage participation, it holds competitions and awards prizes for p hotos. It is also s upported by popular channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The Wasseraktiv Photo Award inspires outstanding photography such as Markus Enenkel’s »Die Ruhe in Person« (Cool as a Cucumber).
Generation Blue As young people use another language and have different aesthetics, the authorities also launched a youth platform in 2004: Generation Blue. Given that there is no other comparable project that focuses on water, the platform is a role model for the international water community – and for Austria’s flagship project youth awareness raising. Generation Blue recently started working with top influencers like Michael Buchinger. The YouTube and Instagram celebrity explains things like the water cycle or how sewage plants work. wasseraktiv.at generationblue.at
Neptun Water Award The Neptun Water Award has received 25,000 entries between 1999 and 2019: projects, photos, scientific works, initiatives and works of art have all been appraised by different professional juries. 62 trophies have so far been awarded, with the winners together receiving €400,000 in total. This has led more than 2,500 media reports.
Contact: susanne.brandstetter@ bmlrt.gv.at
pictures M aria nne We ni ghofer, markus e nenke l, BMNT Pau l Gru ber, Geo rg Nes ch, matthia s hombauer
Even the Austrian national anthem celebrates the country’s waters – so authorities are prioritising this precious resource, working to establish the youthful »Generation Blue« platform.
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»Water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such.« – EU Water Framework Directive
Danube Day Every year at the end of June, children from all over the Danube River Basin celebrate one of Europe’s greatest river systems.
I Every year Austria’s »Generation Blue« celebrates water, e.g. during Danube Day.
t is an annual event that brings together people from several countries to celebrate the world’s biggest river: Danube Day. In 2019, hundred of events in Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine joined forces along the banks of the river, attracting mostly children and teenagers. Set up in 2004, the festival’s main aim is to encourage younger generations to take part – and feel responsible for their common river. Organised by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, the public participation expert group is a worldwide role model for how to communicate on river ecosystems. One of its most important and successful activities is the Danube Art Master Competition. This encourages pupils to create artworks inspired by materials they have found in and around the Danube. Austria plays a leading role in all the organisation’s activities.
danubeday.at danubeday.org Contact: susanne.brandstetter@bmlrt.gv.at helene.masliah-gilkarov@icpdr.org
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Ozonko & Ozončica How Croatia created two green superheroes, used the messaging platform Viber to promote them – and encouraged pupils to think about the ozone layer.
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ithin a few weeks, Ozonko and Ozončica have tance of the ozone layer for become superheroes in Croatia. Created by the life on Earth and of eliminatMinistry of Environment and Energy, both caring ozone-depleting substances. Experts predict that toon characters were promoted via Viber, one the natural balance between ozone formation and deof the world’s leading messagstruction will be fully restored ing platforms, to campaign for by the year 2050. the protection of the ozone layOzonko and Ozončica’s miser. The campaign was launched sion? To teach the importance on 16 September 2019, when the of the ozone layer in a smart, United Nations celebrated Infun and educational way. The ternational Day for the Preser Ministry of Environment and vation of the Ozone Layer. »As Energy has there f ore launwe rightly focus our energies ched 18 free exclusive stickers on tackling climate change, we featuring the superheroes via must be careful not to neglect Viber. Within just 3 months, the ozone layer and stay alert to more than 35,000 users have the threat posed by the illegal downloaded the stickers, use of ozone-depleting gases,« which have been used over explained un Secretary-Gen115,000 times. Tomislav Ćorić, eral António Guterres. Croatia, Minister of Environment and together with other signatoEnergy, proudly announced – António Guterres, ries of the Montreal Protocol, »that we are the first governUN Secretary-General is actively involved in raising ment department in Croapublic awareness of the importia to team up with Viber.« To
pictures MZ
» As we rightly focus our energies on tackling climate change, we must be careful not to neglect the ozone layer and stay alert to the threat posed by the illegal use of ozonedepleting gases.«
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support the superheroes’ mission, the Ministry also launched an art contest for schools called »Create a superhero and increase your environmental awareness!«. To take part, pupils had to create a sculpture inspired by Ozonko and Ozončica Viber stickers. All sculptures had to be built using items or materials destined for waste disposal that were previously used for teaching or in daily life (for example paper, cardboard, plastic, pet packaging, textiles). In this way, the Ministry encouraged young people to use items that would have otherwise ended up as waste. stickers.viber.com/pages/ozonko2019 Contact: kristina.posilovic@mzoe.hr
As Malta’s environmental guardian, the Environment and Resources Authority’s work ranges from collecting data on environmental media to advising the government on environmental policy.
Croatia’s campaign to protect the ozone layer: Superhero Ozonko shielding Earth from sunrays.
picture ERA
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he Environment & Resources Authority (era) has been working on developing new strategies to address modern day challenges related to the environment. These include a noise action plan, with era shedding light on noise levels across the Maltese Islands. It identified areas where noise pollution is above acceptable levels and suggested ways forward. Another example is the single-use plastic products strategy, which aims to bring about behavioural shifts in order to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic items and increase waste recycling. Although era staff perform most of their duties from their Marsa offices, assistant officer Gabriel Aquilina explains the importance of outreach. In fact, era staff ensure that the public is aware of new regulations and policies. Another key task relates to education. This explains era’s strong presence during
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» We identified areas where noise pollution is above acceptable levels and suggested ways forward.« – Gabriel Aquilina, era spokesman
Close encounters with Malta’s native species at ERA’s annual Bat Night.
Daniel Micallef, former Labour Speaker of the House of Representatives, minister, doctor and environmentalist. era also holds numerous stakeholder meetings that bring together non-governmental organisations, local councils, private businesses and those working in the sector, such as farmers. These meetings, held several times a year, enable era to evaluate the impact of its policies and help it create ways to work with those who uphold its policies. It will continue to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding Malta’s environment. The public’s help in achieving this goal is paramount as there can be no positive change unless there is lasting collaboration between all the stakeholders involved. era.org.mt Contact: info@era.org.mt
Raising awareness for protected species (such as Malta’s loggerhead turtle) at Greenfest’s photo exhibition.
pictures istoc k.c om/remus 86, ERA
events such as the Valletta Green Festival, Science in the City, Notte Bianca and Genna ta’ Gonna. At these events, era is able to focus on particular topics and convey key messages such as the importance of not introducing invasive non-native species to Maltese islands and reducing marine litter. It strongly believes that such messages must be accompanied by suggestions on how to move forward. For example, rather than stating that single-use plastic bags should not be used, era offers alternatives such as reusable mesh bags to transport your fruit and vegetables while shopping. It also attends a number of open days that take place across the islands, such as EcoDalam. This is an annual event at Ghar Dalam, a 145m-long cave with some parts over 500,000 years old. era is also hands-on in how it promotes the environment and its policies. Examples include walks organised in protected areas like Fomm irRiħ and Il-Lippija, during which staff explain how these regions are home to a variety of native plants, animals and insects. Another occasion is the annual Bat Night at Ghar Dalam, organised by the Green Spider Network in collaboration with Heritage Malta. »We also reward those who champion our environment, which is why we set up the Buonamico Award,« Gabriel Aquilina continues. This award was inspired by Ġan Franġisk Bonamico, who conducted one of Malta’s first studies into native plants and animals in the 1670s. Past winners include Stanley Zammit, former Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Environment, and
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CleanAir @School How a public science project aims to stop Italian parents driving their children to school.
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leanAir@School is a science and environmental education project on air quality monitoring. It started out as a joint initiative of the European Network of the Heads of Environmental Protection Agencies and the European Environment Agency. Under the initiative, primary and secondary school pupils in E urope monitor air quality near their schools using a common approach. The main goal is to raise awareness of the links between air pollution and health – mainly in cities, where most Europeans live – and to change people’s behaviour by promoting new and sustainable lifestyles and focusing on mobility. One of the key questions is whether – in the light of this knowledge – parents will stop driving their children to school. The science campaign, which was launched at the end of 2019, involves 82 Italian schools and will be used to better understand how children are exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), emitted by vehicles, near to their school. Radial symmetry samplers have been installed outside the schools at two points – one closer to traffic, the other in a less exposed area, for example a courtyard. The project will end in 2020, when Italy will assess whether to roll out the project in the coming years. Air pollution is one of the topics of most concern to Europeans. It is therefore extremely important to make young generations aware of how the institutions operate and to explain to them how they are working to improve air quality. The CleanAir@School project is organised by the Italian Institute for Environmental P rotection and Research (ispa) and by the Italian Network for Environ mental Protection (snpa). The latter carries out environmental checks all over Italy and is coordinating the project together with 15 regional environmental agen-
cies that manage air quality monitoring networks and provide official data. Children actively participate in the classroom, making scientific instruments as well as taking part in air quality monitoring. This involves investigating, observing, filming, filling in recording sheets and collecting data. They play an active part in the research process, keen to get involved in problem-solving activities and cooperative learning, which stimulate participation, creativity and commitment. The main goal is to teach them good practices that have a positive impact on life outside school and on the family. At European level, the initiative explores how data collected by individuals might complement »official« air quality monitoring to help improve our understanding of local air quality. This in turn supports the Commission’s efforts to streamline environmental reporting, in particular to »promote the wider use of citizen science to complement environmental reporting«. snpambiente.it/progetti/cleanairschool Contact: sandra.moscone@isprambiente.it
25th
Anniversary
The Green Spider Network was set up in 1995 as an informal network of heads of communication and information officers from environment ministries and national agencies across the EU. It promotes cooperation between national environmental bodies, the European Environment Agency and the Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment (DG Environment) on environmental information and communication. The goal is to promote public and stakeholder engagement on environmental issues in the EU countries and at EU level. By raising awareness about environmental issues and policies, the network empowers individuals and groups and encourages them to help protect the environment in an informed and active manner. It is also a forum for sharing information, ideas and good practice. It provides a platform to develop coordinated action, ensuring that EU environmental policies are communicated to target groups in the most effective manner. The network is run by DG Environment and the country holding the EU presidency. ec.europa.eu/environment/networks/ greenspider/
