We organised a conference summarising the first year of the Climate Declaration

On 16 January 2025, a conference was held to summarise the first year of the Climate Declaration. It was an opportunity to celebrate achievements to date and to exchange experiences and plans for the future. 

From the announcement of the Declaration on 12 December 2023 until the end of 2024, 50 organisations signed the Declaration, thereby committing themselves to climate protection activities. In 2024, the signatories took part in six educational workshops and three networking meetings aimed at supporting them in implementing pro-climate initiatives. These meetings also enabled the establishment of new contacts and the exchange of good practices between organisations. The initiative was also presented at three conferences, where the importance of the role of social organisations in climate action was emphasised. Two articles and several dozen social media posts were written about the initiative. In response to the needs of the signatories, a joint email address and an informal WhatsApp group were also created.

The first speaker at the event was Karalyn Gardner, Manager at Philea, who presented the history of the #PhilanthropyForClimate initiative. She presented a global perspective on the movement, showing how philanthropy can contribute to the fight against the climate crisis and inspire organisations around the world to take action for a sustainable future. 

In the main part of the conference, the signatories of the Declaration shared their experiences in implementing a climate perspective into their daily activities: 

Joanna Dymna-Oszek, ING Children's Foundation – ‘Climate education in the ING Children's Foundation programmes’ 
Joanna Dymna-Oszek talked about the ‘My Environment’ grant programme, which supports local environmental projects carried out in cooperation with schools, kindergartens and social organisations. The projects include creating rain gardens, building insect hotels, planting biodiversity-friendly plants and animal protection initiatives. Joanna also mentioned the book ‘You too can save the world. Eco-stories from Pietruszkowa Wola’, created in cooperation with ING Bank Śląski, which aims to shape pro-ecological attitudes in children. Lesson plans and teaching materials have been developed for the publication, as well as an audiobook and an e-book version in English.

Anna Słoboda, Inter Cars Foundation – ‘Inter Cars Foundation scholarship holders launch an environmental education campaign’ 
Anna Słoboda presented a social campaign carried out by scholarship holders of the Inter Cars Foundation's ‘Accelerator’ programme, in cooperation with Partslife. The campaign aimed to raise environmental awareness among the public, especially in the area of proper waste management. A key element of the project was the advertising spot “Choose workshops that care about everything: your car and the environment”, promoting the selection of automotive services that ensure proper waste management. The idea and script for the spot were created by the Foundation’s scholarship holders.  

Katarzyna Rodziewicz, Ronald McDonald Foundation, and Barbara Gorzelak, Holcim Poland – ‘Ronald McDonald Green Houses’ 
Katarzyna Rodziewicz and Barbara Gorzelak presented the Ronald McDonald Foundation’s innovative approach to creating family-friendly buildings in accordance with the principles of sustainable construction. The houses, intended for families of hospitalised children, are equipped with energy-saving technologies, photovoltaic panels, heat pumps and water-saving systems. Each of the buildings was constructed using CLT technology. In addition, tall trees have been preserved around the houses, and rainwater collected in tanks is used to water the plants. The speakers emphasised that investing in eco-friendly solutions not only supports climate protection but also creates healthy, friendly spaces for people in difficult life situations.

Malwina Hyjek-Składanowska, Foundation for Polish Science – ‘How to support scientific research without harming the climate’ 
In her presentation, Malwina Hyjek-Składanowska talked about promoting sustainable development by the Foundation for Polish Science through emphasising an ecological approach to scientific research and innovative pro-environmental solutions. The Foundation encourages scientists to assess the environmental impact before starting their research and to use methods that minimise waste generation and pollutant emissions. In all competitions financed by the Foundation, meeting environmental criteria and indicators has become a mandatory condition for beneficiaries to obtain funding. 
Malwina Hyjek-Składanowska also talked about the innovative solutions used in the Foundation's headquarters. Its façade is covered with a 250 m² vertical garden, which produces oxygen and acts as a thermal insulator, reducing energy consumption. Grey water, i.e. rainwater stored in a special tank, is used for irrigation and toilet flushing.

Elżbieta Wojciechowska and Małgorzata Widera, Digital University Foundation – ‘Be.Eco – From Declaration to Action’ 
The speakers presented the nationwide educational programme ‘Be.Eco’, aimed at teachers and pupils in primary and secondary schools, which aims to raise their environmental awareness and help them understand and adapt to a changing world. The programme includes training courses, webinars, teaching materials and competitions, in which over 65,000 students and 1,000 teachers are already participating. The speakers emphasised that education is the key to building a generation that is aware of climate challenges. 
www.beeco.edu.pl

Magda Gromek-Kowalczyk, Rural Development Foundation – ‘From observing nature to protecting it’ 
Magda Gromek-Kowalczyk talked about a publication supporting the implementation of nature projects, which provides step-by-step guidance through the process of diagnosing residents' needs, planning, implementing and evaluating activities. It also contains a list of native species of trees, shrubs and plants recommended for planting in common areas and gardens. Magda Gromek-Kowalczyk also presented the ‘Water-friendly municipality’ programme, which supports the protection of water resources and combats drought – a problem that affects Poland every year, leading, among other things, to noticeably lower crop yields.

Agnieszka Rutkowska and Aleksandra Pacułt, CEMEX Foundation ‘Building the Future’ – ‘Ekoludki na lipówkowym szlaku’ 
The speakers talked about a grant competition dedicated to local communities in towns where CEMEX operates. The programme supports ecological and pro-environmental initiatives. The speakers also talked about the revitalisation of a disused quarry in Lipówka, which has been transformed into an educational trail. The educational trail engages the local community and tourists in discovering local nature. 

Damian Wojciech Dudała, SOC TECH LAB Foundation – “Green digital transformation” 
Damian Wojciech Dudała spoke about the growing carbon footprint of the digital world and presented solutions aimed at optimising tools. The Foundation has also developed and implemented a ‘Digitally Responsible Organisation Code’ and an algorithm that calculates and informs the user of the website about their carbon footprint. The Foundation has given up its headquarters and switched completely to remote working.

Ewa Kozdraj and Elżbieta Rojek, Association ‘For the Earth’ – ‘Community Garden’ 
The speakers talked about a community garden that was created after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, motivated by the desire to create a place for the integration of the local community, refugees and volunteers. It started with an empty field, which was transformed into a greenhouse and a garden, yielding both vegetables and fruit, as well as integration and community. The garden hosts meetings, workshops, music and sports activities.  

The presentations showed that every organisation, regardless of its mission, can incorporate pro-climate activities into its daily operations. Climate action can take many forms and scales, from education and research to grant programmes and green digital transformation. The exchange of experiences and good practices helped participants gain a new perspective on how to effectively implement pro-climate solutions in their organisations' activities and programmes.

Climate Compliance 

Among the 70 conference participants, divided into groups, we worked on the provisions of Climate Compliance – a tool that will support organisations in minimising their negative impact on the environment. The standards being developed will cover various areas of activity, such as event organisation, programme implementation, cooperation with partners and resource management. Climate Compliance will be a set of guidelines and standards from which each organisation will be able to choose the aspects that best suit its specific nature, goals and capabilities.  

The special guest of the event was Szymon Bujalski, a climate journalist, who in his presentation addressed the importance of nature in urban spaces. He explained how investing in greenery can contribute to lowering temperatures, reducing energy costs and improving air quality. He also emphasised its positive impact on mental health, pointing out how proper management of urban nature can improve the quality of life of residents and provide an effective response to the challenges of climate change. 

During the event, seven new organisations joined the group of Signatories to the Declaration, thus declaring their readiness to take action on climate change.

We would like to thank everyone involved in this event – speakers, participants, partners and signatories of the Declaration.  

Main partner of the initiative: BNP Paribas Foundation

Partner supporting the event: ING Children's Foundation

The Declaration of Social Organisations for Climate Action was created thanks to funding from the Norwegian Funds under the Active Citizens Programme – National Fund.