Climate change is a global problem, but its effects are felt locally. We believe that each of us can help reduce these effects. However, in order for actions to be effective, it is worthwhile to involve various people, entities and stakeholders: school students, adult residents, local business, local governments and NGOs. The Polkowice Municipality is a large industrial area, so the environment is particularly at risk here. For several years, the municipality has been implementing the Environmental Education Programme, an important element of which is local cooperation and raising the residents’ awareness on sustainable development. Our project is in line with the objectives of the above mentioned Programme.
In this project, we address the problem of low engagement of the Polkowice Municipality’s residents in climate protection activities. Its goal is to strengthen civil society through the social activation of young people and the development of their competences which will allow them to conduct social dialogue, facilitate meetings, cooperate and engage for the benefit of the whole community. We are carrying out training on such topics as methods of conducting dialogue, strengthening the sense of agency, ways to engage the residents, as well as climate threats and good practices to prevent them in Poland and Europe. We have planned the training activities in such a way that the participants will be able to use the acquired knowledge and skills during the 1st Polkowice Climate Dialogue, i.e. a debate with representatives of local government, NGOs and business. The event will be co-hosted by young participants of our project. Together they will develop a Dictionary for Climate Talks and a Climate Manifesto, in which they will define local environmental and climate challenges. The young people will carry out 4 initiatives engaging the local community in climate action. We will integrate the results of the project into the Environmental Education Programme of the Polkowice Municipality. Direct recipients of the project are young people – residents of Polkowice, and indirect recipients are the entire community of the municipality. Thanks to the project, the participation of residents, especially young people, in the shaping of local policies will increase. The following partners are involved in the project activities: the University of Wrocław, the Norwegian Nature Research Institute NINA and the Polkowice Municipality.