Local Elections and Environmental Challenges
Romania will hold local elections on June 9, 2024. Despite increasing discussions about green agendas and investments to improve environmental indicators, major environmental issues remain absent from public debates and local investment planning. This inaction persists even though significant environmental problems exist in major cities, from air and water quality to urban biodiversity and noise pollution.
Green Priorities in Bucharest
Bucharest is one of the European capitals with the poorest environmental quality indicators. The city has less than 10 m² of green space per resident, poor accessibility and quality, and mobility still centered around cars, making Bucharest the third most congested city in the EU (TomTom Traffic Index, 2022). Air quality sensors frequently show high pollution levels, and the AirLive app reports daily pollutant exceedances. Pedestrian areas and bike lanes are limited, and the city lacks clear data on environmental quality due to deficient data collection.
How Young People See Bucharest’s Green Priorities
CRPE organized two events on May, 28th, 2024, with over 60 young people to discuss Bucharest’s green priorities and the city’s green investment portfolio for 2021-2030. The CRPE report on the role of green investments in the future of Romanian cities was presented, detailing the role of young people, NGOs, and civic groups in setting and monitoring these investments. Participants worked on green priorities in six categories: Air Quality, Water Quality, Urban Biodiversity, Waste Management and Circular Economy, Noise Pollution, and Energy Efficiency. Each group proposed measurable measures and projects for the city, inspired by successful examples from other cities with committed green agendas.
Civic Pressure for Environmental Improvement in Bucharest
Discussions on sustainability have intensified in recent years, with a significant focus on environmental quality. Citizens, NGOs, and civic groups are demanding accelerated action on environmental issues and increased transparency. CRPE proposed a dedicated green project plan for climate neutrality, based on existing local strategic documents, with transparent and easily trackable targets and indicators. The plan should include accountable parties for each objective and a monitoring and evaluation process that holds the administration accountable through regular publication and evaluation of indicators and projects. The Bucharest Environmental Platform recently proposed an environmental pact for a livable city.
About the “Green Rights for a Sustainable Future: Enhancing Citizens’ Involvement in EU’s Climate Ambitions” Project
CRPE helps debate and put on the public agenda the climate challenges facing Romanian urban communities. We emphasize the importance of citizen support for achieving climate goals and carbon-neutral cities. This can be achieved by influencing the public agenda, increasing public awareness, and supporting extensive involvement of citizens, NGOs, universities, and civic groups in shaping city plans to achieve climate goals. By improving citizens’ attitudes and understanding of their environmental impact and climate ambitions, we can make significant progress.
More events organized by CRPE on similar topics include:
- Bucharest – European Green capital?
- Fighting the Climate Crisis: Listening to Europe’s Youth
- The Future of the European Green Deal
- CSOs role in promoting green projects in urban areas
- Ramnicu Valcea: the road to sustainability
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.
