Business Forum • 22 October, 2024 at 9:56 AM
The Environmental Platform for Bucharest, the strategic program developed by the Bucharest Community Foundation, is opening a new funding area - climate resilience, in partnership with Orange Romania. RON 500,000 are allocated to support up to four projects that develop solutions for managing risks and opportunities related to climate change, as well as increasing the resilience of the Capital in the face of future challenges. So far, in the first five rounds and through special funding initiatives, the program has supported 36 environmental projects with over RON 10 million.
Bucharest has become crowded by constructions, with buildings, roads, transportation, water, and energy infrastructure increasingly exposed to climate risks such as rising temperatures, decreased precipitation, and more intense extreme weather events. This is the data presented in the Research Report on the state of the environment, conducted and published by the Bucharest Community Foundation, as the basis for launching the Environmental Platform for Bucharest program. For instance, by 2050, the average temperature in the Capital could rise by 3.6–4°C, and heatwaves will become more frequent and longer-lasting, which will put pressure on the city, according to reports from the UN and the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Moreover, in Bucharest, instant temperature differences are frequently 4–6°C higher than in the surrounding rural areas.
In this context, the implementation of climate resilience solutions becomes essential for mitigating the long-term effects caused by climate trends and combating the urban heat island phenomenon. These include rain gardens that allow water to be absorbed into the soil, permeable pavements to reduce the risk of flooding, water management systems, urban green gardens to improve air quality, painting concrete surfaces, and creating cooling or shaded areas to help reduce temperatures.
To receive support in the Round VI of funding, eligible projects must develop solutions for measuring and improving the air or water quality in Bucharest, research the impact of extreme temperatures on the population and biodiversity or implement concrete solutions to enhance the resilience of people and communities to climate change.
Until December 16, 2024, non-governmental organizations that aim to address a climate issue in Bucharest can apply for a grant by completing an online form available on the Environmental Platform for Bucharest's website. The submitted projects will be evaluated by the end of January 2025 by a jury that includes environmental and grant experts, which will be announced. The winning projects will be announced after February 6, 2025. Afterwards, the projects will have nearly a year, until January 2026, to be implemented. The amount allocated to each winning project will depend on the complexity of the proposed initiatives and the necessary funding for their development.
The Environmental Platform for Bucharest is a strategic program initiated by the Bucharest Community Foundation together with ING Bank Romania, launched in 2022. The program aims to turn environmental issues faced by people into viable projects for Bucharest and its residents. The Environmental Platform for Bucharest was created to bring together non-profit organizations, civic initiative groups, public authorities, and companies to create the collective impact needed to transform the Capital into a better city to live in.
The Bucharest Community Foundation brings together donors, NGOs, or initiative groups to develop communities where we feel at home. It builds donation mechanisms, funding pools, and idea incubators for the city. In 12 years, it has funded over 800 projects and scholarships in Bucharest and Ilfov, with €4.7 million. The Bucharest Community Foundation is part of a national movement, alongside 17 other community foundations in the country.