This year, the theme of the Gdansk Climate Change Forum was environmental and climate education. On 24 October 2024 at AmberExpo, the citizens of Gdansk took part in a discussion moderated, among others, by Barbara Kijewska, PhD, Prof. UG, coordinator of the Internship Programme at the Centre for Sustainable Development.
The City of Gdańsk, in preparing the “Green Strategy for Gdańsk: City’s Adaptation Plan to Climate Change by 2030”, in dialogue with the inhabitants, is determining the forms and principles of educational and informational activities. The meeting was opened by Anna Trzuskolas, Director of the Department of Ecology and Energy of the Municipal Office in Gdańsk, who invited the participants to share their opinions on the needs and vision of ecological education that can be carried out by the city.
The event brought together around 60 participants who, in four moderated teams, set to work on ways to educate. Participants in the discussion focused on ideas on how to make the city more environmentally and health-friendly for its residents. Eight participants sat at a table moderated by Barbara Kijewska, PhD, Professor UG. The discussion lasted 90 minutes. It resulted in the team identifying educational activities and forms of implementation.
“At the table I had the pleasure of moderating, there were leaders of non-governmental organisations, district councillors, pensioners, but also employees of municipal institutions, i.e. people who had long since finished their formal education and who brought a variety of experiences to the discussion,” the moderator said, “As a result, many ideas were proposed, such as organising activating events to promote ecology, such as the May cycling event, or changes in local law in favour of public transport and the introduction of a common, affordable ticket. Suggestions also included those in the area of educational activities: workshops for pre-schoolers, study visits to green facilities, and the creation of spaces to encourage outdoor activities, such as community gardens or revitalised water bodies. Participants felt that a comprehensive approach, combining education, urban policy changes and community involvement, was the key to success. In this way, it is possible to create a city where ecology is not just a fashionable buzzword, but an everyday practice.”
As Barbara Kijewska adds, all the proposals submitted by the inhabitants have been forwarded to the Department of Ecology and Energy of the City Hall of Gdańsk, and we can count on some of them finding their way into city actions.
See a report from the second edition of the Climate Change Forum in Gdańsk 2022
See our coverage of the third edition of the Climate Change Forum in Gdansk 2023