Representatives of the business world and non-governmental organizations took part in the debate entitled “I’m green! How to live in harmony with nature, care for the environment and protect nature in the modern world.”
Krakow is winning against smog
Andrzej Guła, associated with Krakow, the president of the board of the Polish Anti-Smog Alarm, reminded that Poland is still at the bottom of Europe when it comes to air quality, because every year about 50 thousand people die in our country due to smog. However, there are examples of positive changes.
– 12 years ago, when we started the fight against smog, Krakow had about 140 days of heavy smog a year, but thanks to the enormous determination and effort of Krakow’s residents, we managed to introduce regulations and support programs. And today, Krakow has less than 30 smog days a year – noted Andrzej Guła.
In his opinion, local businesses played a significant role in this process, and it was the employees themselves who forced him to do so by refusing to live in smoky Krakow.
– And it was business that became a significant stimulus for influencing local government authorities. (…) There was also a great initiative by large Krakow companies that ran the “Business vs. Smog” campaign – employees of large corporations could conduct training in various places on the subject of clean air as part of their volunteer activities – said Andrzej Guła. At the same time, he noted that the bulk of the responsibility for improving air quality in our country falls on the central authorities.
– And we have been fighting for this for at least 10 years – recalled the leader of the Polish Anti-Smog Alarm.
Lidl focuses on photovoltaics and recycling
Jan Słowik, member of the management board of Lidl Polska, is also convinced that it pays off for entrepreneurs to invest in environmental protection.
– There is no other way, if we are talking about a perspective of a dozen or several dozen years – he pointed out and added that Lidl already has its own environmental protection policy. – We have committed to reduce the amount of plastic in our packaging by 30% by 2025 and by another 5% by 2027. We also strive to ensure that 100% of our own brand packaging is maximally recyclable and to use an average of 25% of recyclates in them – said Jan Słowik.
In addition, as he pointed out, Lidl stores, offices and warehouses use ecological energy sources, such as photovoltaics or heat pumps.
– In our stores, we use energy recovery from refrigeration and we either heat or cool our facilities with it – he explained.
When it comes to food, the company aims to reduce the amount of salt and sugar in its own-brand products by 20 percent by 2025.
– It is not easy, because while in the case of sugar each of us can imagine several substitutes or slightly less sweet products, salt is a bigger challenge – said the manager who is responsible for sales at Lidl Polska.
A range of possibilities
Grace Achieng, founder of Gracelandic, emphasized that she applies a similar philosophy to her clothing company. She noted that fashion is one of the most polluting industries, accounting for 10 percent of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
– How to change this? We have to start with our attitude. We have a lot of negative marketing, also when it comes to fashion – marketing that constantly tells us that we need something new – she pointed out. She added that her company focuses on clothes made only from high-quality, natural and biodegradable fabrics.
She also encouraged people to buy good quality clothes – the kind that you don’t throw away after one season. “Of course, you can also change the style, wear a scarf or a jacket with the same item of clothing. You don’t always have to have a lot of clothes to feel beautiful,” she suggested.
Maksymilian Liberski, co-founder of the One More Tree Foundation, and Anne D’Este, Project Manager for Energy Transition and Environment,in turn, they talked about pro-ecological solutions that can be used in cities. The head of One More Tree encouraged investing in greenery, because on the one hand it helps reduce CO2, on the other – it lowers the temperature in built-up areas.
– We should live in the greatest possible symbiosis with trees, not only planting new trees if we cut some down for furniture production or during construction investments, but also ensuring that they are different species of trees in order to avoid creating monocultures – he explained.
Anne D’Este admitted that Venice, due to climate change, is experiencing increasingly frequent floods, which is why the city has decided to build a system of dams to protect against flooding.
– Of course, this is not the only problem we are dealing with. There is a whole range of topics related to renewable energy, hydrogen, but also the issue of social sustainable development. Our city has very serious challenges ahead of it – the activist emphasized. Currently, as she said, Venice is a kind of “laboratory” for testing various innovative technologies.
