Conurbant

18-28 JUNE 2013 - ENERGY DAYS TIMIŞOARA 2013

28/06/2013

Category: Energy Days

User: Primăria Municipiului Timişoara

ENERGY DAYS TIMIŞOARA 2013 – 18-28 JUNE 2013

The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), an initiative of the European Commission, is meant to join the citizens and all parties concerned with energy issues at local, regional and national levels, helping Europe to reach its energy targets and to generate new ideas and actions.

This year, the Municipality of Timisoara has organised the 3rd edition of ENERGY DAYS events within the frame of the European Sustainable Energy Week, both as Covenant of Mayors signatory and as partner in the Project „An inclusive peer-to-peer approach to involve EU CONURBations and wide urban areas in participating to the CovenANT of Mayors”,  acronym CONURBANT, project code IEE/ 10/380/SI2 58 9427.

Energy Days Timisoara 2013 were also circumscribed to the GREEN WEEK 2013 event, which was approved by DG Environment of the European Commission (ref.RO03), and dedicated to the environment agent AIR, under the slogan “CLEANER AIR FOR ALL” — “CLEAN AIR – Mine, Yours, Ours – Timisoara 2013”

The programme of the Timisoara Energy Days events started on 18 June, in the “ION CREANGĂ” Children’s Park, with the launch of a painting contest focusing on ENERGY theme and entitled “GREEN ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”. Twenty-two school units participated in this activity, while the contest aimed at bringing together children and teachers from Timisoara and Timisoara Conurbation in an artistic and educative event meant to contribute to the building of an ecological culture, promoting the best school initiatives in the area of environment and climate protection. Furthermore, the activity also contributed to the development of the civic spirit, of the individual and group initiatives, raising pupils’ awareness to the environment issues and, finally yet importantly, enhanced the participants’ artistic skills and creative thinking.

On 19 June, at the Multipurpose Hall of the Administrative Palace, the “Energy Forum” took place – “LOCAL PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGIES”, with the participation of Timisoara Conurbation communities, energy work groups, associations, energy clusters, representatives of companies delivering public services and utilities, other interested parties and citizens.

Presentations concerning the development opportunities of the Sustainable Energy Action Plans, the solutions for energetic efficiency, the use of renewable energy sources and the funding opportunities for energy projects have been intensely pondered.  The activity of the Timis Association for Energy Management was presented, too, in its efforts to develop the Energy Master Plan for Timis County. Moreover, the representatives of the Association pointed out the difficulties encountered in collecting correct and relevant data for the energy balance in Timis County.

This event, which was attended by 82 de persons, ended with the launching of the painting exhibition “GREEN ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” where the coordination teachers received participation diplomas. The Forum enjoyed an intense media covering, the papers presented during the proceedings being published both on the Environment Directorate web page and in electronic format, on personalised memory cards, which were given to the participants.

In order to make it possible for a greater number of citizens to participate, the Environment Directorate has organised outdoor events both for children and for parents. Marasesti Street became not only the starting point of the GREEN TRACK, but also the place where a drawing contest on asphalt pavement took place, having as theme energy and renewable energy sources. The contest revealed the fact that the young generation is in close connection to the energy realities of the moment, has the knowledge and the wish to contribute to a change with the aim to save energy and to implement the good practices in the field of energy in the classroom, in their school and in society.

During a holiday, on 24 June 2013, children and parents alike enjoyed the artistic performance that took place in the Children’s Park in Timisoara. The show was acted by professional artists and by the Puppet Theatre with the play “Vasilache and Marioara”, which brought in front of the public a moment from the life of two simple people, sprinkled with real life funny goings-on solved in an amusing manner. To the delight of the children, the artists approached examples of good practice in the household, of energy saving, of the impact of human action on the environment, in an ingenious and humorous way. Music, dance, interactive approach and the narrative of the play captured children’s attention from the beginning to the end when the dance and the energetic games concluded an extremely agreeable evening for the participating public.

The promotion of the European Sustainable Energy Week and of the Energy Days Timisoara 2013 was achieved by a series of promotional materials such as: personalised T-shirts, little hats, bandanas, badges and balloons, all with the aim to inform about the event, and all the participant children received such objects.

Energy Days Timisoara 2013 could not have taken place without a campaign of awareness raising and of informing the citizens on the practical possibilities which could be used day by day in order to reduce  energy consumption in dwellings and at work places as well as in order to save fuel. The saving could be achieved by obeying some simple rules of motor driving in a responsible way towards the environment – what is known as ECO - DRIVING. In the interval 25 – 28 June, the representatives of Environment Directorate distributed informative and awareness raising materials and talked with the citizens. They engaged thus in efficient, active, public communication to make known the municipality’s concern for the implementation of Local Strategy concerning the climatic changes and the Action Plan on combating, mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate changes. Furthermore, they voiced the expectations of the local public authority from the citizens, from the civil society in reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. On this occasion, it has been pointed out the fact that the hope to transform the Municipality of Timisoara into a city with sustainable development is possible only with the direct and active implication of the citizens, and of the civil society as a whole.

For Timisoara Municipality, the success of the implementation of Sustainable Energy Action Plan is still a challenge, since the success of the actions is closely correlated both to the activity of specialised directorates and services of the Town Hall, of the Timisoara societies and companies  and to the active participation of the citizens.

Expenditures related to the organization of the events were provided both from the CONURBANT Project budget and Timişoara Municipality local budget.

More information on the activities taking place within the frame of Energy Days Timisoara 2013and of the CONURBANT Project may be obtained accessing  www.dmmt.ro web page.