Date: November, 12, 2024, 10 00 – 14 00
Address: European Commission’s Representation in Bucharest, Vasile Lascăr 31
The environmental challenges persist in Bucharest
Bucharest remains one of the European capitals with the most severe environmental issues in 2024. The city offers less than 10 m² of green space per inhabitant, and infrastructure for sustainable transport, such as bike lanes or pedestrian zones, is nearly non-existent. Urban mobility is car-centric, with public transport underused compared to other European capitals. Additionally, Bucharest ranks as one of the most congested cities in Europe. Air quality is frequently compromised, not only by internal factors like traffic and heating systems but also by illegal waste burning and poorly managed landfill sites surrounding the city.
Bucharest, an European green capital?
In April 2023, CRPE hosted the event “Bucharest: A Green European Capital. How Do We Get There?”. Representatives from the Bucharest City Hall, sector administrations, civil society, and European initiatives like the Green Cities Accord participated. The discussions focused on sustainable urban development, including plans for tramway infrastructure and dedicated bus lanes. However, since then, progress has been slow, with limited actions such as the drafting of the Velo MasterPlan and preliminary agreements with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for a Green City Action Plan, whose impact on local policies remains unclear.
Despite some initiatives, many environmental challenges remain unaddressed. Waste burning continues to severely affect air quality, while green spaces are systematically destroyed, as highlighted by the case of IOR Park. Urban regeneration projects, like expanding pedestrian zones or restricting traffic, remain at the discussion stage. Poor coordination between the Bucharest General City Hall, district administrations, and institutions like the Environmental Guard or the Ministry of Environment further undermines progress. Additionally, policies on urban mobility often contradict each other, with car traffic still taking precedence over alternative transport solutions.
About our event
The event organized by CRPE and Ecopolis Association in November 2024 event brought together stakeholders to reflect on the progress made since 2023 and to identify actionable solutions for Bucharest’s environmental challenges. The discussions addressed citizens’ and civic groups’ demands for accelerated, transparent measures to improve environmental quality. Participants debated the administration’s plans and the political risks associated with green policies, especially as Bucharest embarks on a new local administration cycle amid upcoming parliamentary elections. The event also evaluated the Environmental Partnership for Bucharest, signed before local elections by most candidates.
Despite widespread recognition of Bucharest’s pressing environmental challenges, public policies remain insufficient, and key issues persist unresolved. For instance, cutting down a tree without a permit incurs a mere €5 fine, with no political will from the city hall or political parties to increase penalties or reclassify the offense from a minor contravention to a criminal offense—an initiative still stalled in Parliament. Furthermore, there is a lack of comprehensive data to monitor waste management effectively, mobility policies continue to prioritize car-centric measures, and no actionable plan exists to address air quality. Compounding these issues, the city still lacks a General Urban Plan, leaving long-term urban development and environmental planning in limbo.
The event enjoyed a full house of participants and featured no fewer than eight speakers, including two sector mayors, Bucharest’s green city manager, representatives from an environmental organization, the former head of the Environmental Guard, and general councilors. We extend our gratitude to the nearly 100 attendees who joined us.
Protecting the environment in urban spaces
The event succeeded in fostering a dialogue between citizens, civic groups, and public authorities. Participants emphasized the need for bold, coordinated actions to address Bucharest’s environmental crisis. Measures such as protecting green spaces, enforcing stricter regulations on illegal activities affecting air quality, and expanding public transport infrastructure were highlighted. The presence of representatives from academia, NGOs, European institutions, and the media underlined the importance of collective effort and transparency. While challenges persist, the event reinforced the urgency of creating a unified vision for a greener Bucharest.
The event is co-financed by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the European Union or the Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The European Union or the coordinating institution cannot be held responsible for them.
