The Basque Country's eco-activists of the future learn about the Urban Klima 2050 project

25/10/2021

• Technicians from the Basque Country’s most important climate action project took part in an event entitled “Climate Emergency” as part of the ‘Gazte Ekoliderrak’ project sponsored by Kutxa Ekogunean and the Department of the Environment of the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa to present Urban Klima 2050 and educate young people in the keys to climate action.

A young generation committed to the environment and sustainability is crucial to tackling climate change. That’s according to ‘Gazte Ekoliderrak’, an innovative programme sponsored by Kutxa Ekogunea and the Department of the Environment of the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa to train youngsters in sustainability and leadership.
Participants attend training sessions to learn about different aspects of the environment and sustainability, among them, climate change. On this occasion, LIFE Urban Klima 2050 took part in an event on 21 October on the climate emergency.

Dafne Mazo, a technician from the Ihobe Climate Action area at Ihobe, presented the Basque Country's most comprehensive climate action project. Mazo began her presentation with some of the data from Ihobe's Citizen Perception Study on Climate Change and Energy Transition, which reveals that 89% of citizens between 18 and 29 years of age surveyed consider climate change to be an important problem that needs to be tackled.
The participants were introduced to the KLIMA 2050 Strategy deployed by the Basque Government to address the challenges of climate change and were informed of key aspects of the LIFE Urban Klima project, which will transform the Basque territory by coordinating a total of 40 climate change mitigation and adaptation actions between 2019 and 2025.

During her presentation, the Ihobe technician explained some of the pilot projects currently in progress, such as the use of nature-based solutions developed in Vitoria-Gasteiz; the improvement of green infrastructures, as in the case of the restoration of the Tonpoi area (Bermeo), the agro-ecological park of Aramangelu/Basaldea (Vitoria-Gasteiz), the reforestation of Mount Oberan (Gipuzkoa), and the naturalisation of the Artikutza dam area (Gipuzkoa), among other ongoing improvements.

Lastly, she presented some actions that, beyond the Urban Klima 2050 project, seek to bring the challenge of climate change closer to the citizens, such as the ASTEKLIMA programme (the second edition of which was held recently) and the publication of the 52 ways to tackle climate change. 

After the presentation, the young participants had an opportunity to ask questions and discuss some specific actions such as the one that will be carried out on the Zarautz seawall to minimise the effects of climate change; and more generic issues such as the need to involve the educational and industrial sectors, and institutions in the important issue of climate action and sustainability. Finally, the participants discussed the importance of raising awareness of climate change and the need to change our lifestyle and behaviour as consumers.