Twenty five young people and five local coordinators from the left bank of the Nistru River learned how to produce clean energy from natural sources and to make their communities environment-friendly at a eco festival conducted during 25-27 March 2016. This was the first eco festival for the left bank of the Nistru. The event was initiated by the Energy and Biomass Project funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.

Young people, aged between 14-16, came from different localities and explored smart solutions to consume less energy and to replace the polluting fuel with environment-friendly one. „In our own house we can reduce the energy losses by replacing windows and doors and by saving water and electrical power. I think that production of biomass energy will soon become popular in our country. There are already operating briquettes production lines here”, says Veaceslav Zidra, 16 years old, from Caragas village.

During three days, the young participated were engaged in debates on global warming, and in workshops to develop social spots and banners to advocate for the use of green energy. Visits to bio-fuel companies operating on the left bank of the Nistru River were conducted.

„Children are the change agents who are able to convince and encourage their peers, friends, relatives, parents to become more responsible to environment. Today each of us feels the impact of climate change. This is a reality that we need to change today and now for the people to breathe clean air, drink clean water, eat healthy food and live in an environment safe from natural disasters”, believes Natalia Halaim, teacher at Vasile Lupu high school, Chisinau, and eco-festival’s facilitator.

The eco festival’s participants concluded that each of us can help the community become cleaner by taking actions that not necessarily require financial resources, but rather involvement and joint efforts for a shared goal. The most active eco-festival participants will take part in the summer camp “Energel 2016”, fifth edition. Every year this summer camp gathers together the most dynamic promoters of clean energy from the communities where the Energy and Biomass Project, with the EU financial support, installs heating devices that produce energy from local energy resources.  „Think global, act local - this is what we are trying to inspire young people to believe in the impact of their actions. Raising children's' awareness on the need to increase the share of renewable energy at local level consumption is important in order to limit the global warming connected risks worldwide”,  Victor Cotruta, Energy and Biomass Project manager concluded.

The Energy and Biomass Project is a three-year EUR 9.41 million project granted by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme during 2015-2017. For more information about the Energy and Biomass Project please visit www.biomasa.md

Download the press-release in Russian.