ECORES Closing Event - Press Release
The conference was opened by Zoltán Ranschburg, followed by a panel discussion chaired by Péter Hann. He pointed out that the event was part of an international programme focusing on sustainability and environmental awareness. He pointed out that the political environment often hinders progress on green issues, but that it is important that these discussions take place at local government level, because local problems can be solved most effectively locally.
Izabella Szostak-Smith, Warsaw's Deputy District Mayor for Sustainability, stressed that environmental protection can only be effective if people are actively involved in the process. With a population of three million people, 40% of the city's territory is green space and millions of euros are earmarked for green improvements every year. However, Warsaw is also facing financial difficulties, having lost €2 million due to tax increases by the central government. Szostal-Smith highlighted that the city's climate plan was developed with direct public participation, for example at a 90-person public meeting where priorities were decided jointly with the help of experts. Warsaw is a member of several international organisations (C40, Eurocities, ICLEI, NetZeroCities) and aims to achieve full climate neutrality by 2050. The city is responsible for only 10% of Warsaw's total emissions, so the involvement of citizens and businesses is key. The Green Building Standards standard was also developed following extensive public consultation. Their programmes to increase energy efficiency (e.g. retrofitting of public buildings) have already delivered significant savings. Diversification of energy supply and the development of central district heating are also important objectives, in particular to reduce energy poverty.
In his presentation, Tamás Pataki drew attention to similarities between Slovakia and Hungary: both countries have highly centralised systems, with everything concentrated in the capital. Bratislava is working towards its goals in the framework of the “Bratislava 2030” sustainable energy and climate plan, with support from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Key elements of the plan include a baseline analysis, decarbonisation targets and alignment with EU and international climate commitments (e.g. Fit for 55, Paris Climate Agreement). Bratislava aims to reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. The city currently emits 1.67 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, with buildings and transport being the largest emitters. Accordingly, investments are focused on these areas: insulation programmes, renewable energies (e.g. solar panels), transport alternatives, biogas plants. The aim is to ensure that a significant proportion of the city's residents have access to essential services within a 15-minute walk.
Gergely Karácsony, the Mayor of Budapest, spoke about what we call a green city today, and how progressive policies are the only way to achieve it. He stressed that green policy is not a new-age luxury or a post-modern principle, but is based on conservative principles - such as clean air, drinking water, a liveable environment. The goal is urban governance that combines the benefits of urban and rural life. He pointed out that we often think of investments as green when they are not - for example, suburban sprawl is unsustainable. The Budapest Settlement Plan aims to reduce greenfield investment and to build intensively in areas where basic services are already available (e.g. Rákosrendező). The aim is for the city to be not just a place to live, but a real home where residents feel connected to their environment.
In a panel discussion with experts from Warsaw and Bratislava, speakers discussed how to involve citizens and businesses in urban green policies and the policy challenges they face. Tamás Pataki noted that in Eastern Europe, the majority of the population is not aware of urban issues and is not interested in more complex problems. In contrast, Izabella Szostak-Smith stressed that green policy can build communities - for example through community gardens or plant exchange programmes. On the issue of political harnessing, Izabella also said that green issues are often presented as a campaign tool and although they can generate conflicts (e.g. motorists versus pedestrians), they need political responses. At the end of the discussion, the question of what options local authorities have in an illiberal government was raised - participants agreed that the role of local communities becomes even more important.
László Csőzik, mayor of Érd, stressed in his speech that in the future Érd should give priority to cycling and walking over car traffic. According to him, there is a growing demand for a green turnaround in conurbation cities, while overpopulation - in the case of Érd, a population of 80,000, which puts pressure on infrastructure designed for a capacity of 50,000 - poses serious challenges for environmental policy. The suburban milieu is also gradually being damaged, for example by condominium developments. He mentioned the Climate Park as a flagship project, for which EU funding has been won: there is currently no green public park in the parkland part of Érd, and the aim is to change this. There is also an important local debate on the future of the Danube riverbank - people are more in favour of nature conservation rather than “second Kopaszi dam” type developments. Mr Csőzik also spoke about how civil and municipal cooperation has prevented the Slovenian waste processing plant from becoming a priority public investment. He stressed that this type of protest not only brings environmental policy results, but can also forge a real, cohesive political community in the suburban area. He also stressed the importance of working closely with NGOs, which he said are the driving force behind local green projects and constantly inspire, encourage - or even nudge - the municipality.
Antal Máté, mayor of Nyírbátor, pointed out that the city has a huge traffic volume, partly due to the large number of commuters and partly due to Romania's accession to Schengen, which further increases the transit traffic. He believes that green programmes are needed that can involve the population, but stressed that mayors cannot hide behind society - the ultimate responsibility lies with them. He stressed the importance of redesigning the city, in particular the development of green infrastructure, such as green corridors between important urban nodes. He also stressed the importance of network thinking: municipalities should think in cooperation with each other, adapting good practices. On the issue of opposing government projects, he said that the only tool that really works is social pressure, as legal and regulatory avenues are often circumvented by the government, which creates new rules when necessary. Finally, he said that although there is no specific environmental NGO in Nyírbátor, the aim is to reach out and involve people directly, not only through NGO channels.
György Gémesi, Mayor of Gödöllő, also highlighted the transport problems and their possible solutions, highlighting the Gödöllő bicycle programme and the “pedibus” programme, where children walk to school in an organised and supervised way, with motivational gifts to encourage them. The mayor stressed that sustainable solutions require two basic things: the right approach on the part of the city administration and sufficient budgetary resources. Among the biggest challenges facing the city, he cited the increasing frequency of extreme storms and drainage problems - with water flowing unimpeded through the city in areas that are completely paved over. To address this, he proposed near-natural water retention devices such as ponds and stream regulation. Another big problem is the increasingly frequent, unbearable heat, for which he says air conditioning is not a real solution, either from a health or environmental point of view. As for opposition to government investment, he said that unfortunately the government does not respond to municipal protests through negotiation or consensus, but simply removes projects from the priority investment list. Trust in the authorities has been shaken, the mayor said, as political and economic interests often take precedence over the interests of local communities. Finally, he stressed the importance of cooperation with civil society organisations: dialogue is key, as they are the democratic control of local government.
Sándor Szaniszló, mayor of the XVIIIth district of Budapest, said that the capital has a good basis for green policy, but that several factors, such as government counter-campaigns, are currently preventing it from taking advantage of this. He said that there is a “freedom struggle” in Budapest and that the situation is currently promising. The city government promises to increase the amount of green space in Budapest by 40 hectares by 2025-2026. The mayor mentioned the Rákosrendező area as a priority development site, where 25 hectares of new parkland are planned. Szaniszló mentioned two flagship projects in the XVIIIth district: the revitalisation of the Péterhalmi forest and the expansion of the Bókay garden. The district has avoided conflicts over government investments for the time being, as no projects have yet been submitted for action. Cooperation with NGOs is of paramount importance, according to the mayor, and the municipality actively supports several key local NGO initiatives.
A konferenciáról az egyik legnívósabb magyar híroldal, a HVG is beszámolt: https://hvg.hu/itthon/20250429_Csozik-Laszlo-Navracsics-Tibor-onkormanyzat-torveny-nepessegnovekedes-atomcsapas-Erd
The conference was also reported by one of the most popular Hungarian news sites, HVG: https://hvg.hu/itthon/20250429_Csozik-Laszlo-Navracsics-Tibor-onkormanyzat-torveny-nepessegnovekedes-atomcsapas-Erd
The conference is part of the ECORES project “A vision for a sustainable and equitable tomorrow - A European network of sustainable cities for citizens”, supported by the European Union.