“Green Leader” is a program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, implemented by the Sendzimir Foundation. It supports local leaders in environmental and climate protection activities and the effective acquisition of European Union funds for their implementation. In 2021-2022, over 80 people from 30 municipalities from all over Poland participated in the program.
The program offers e-learning, stationary workshops, consulting, exchange of experience and the possibility of going on a study visit in Poland and abroad.
The effect of participation in the program is:
- diagnosis of an environmental problem significant for the local community
- selection of the best solutions tailored to local conditions
- development of an action plan by each team to be implemented in the local community
- facilitation of external funding acquisition
Three-person teams from municipalities of up to 50,000 inhabitants (in exceptional cases – up to 100,000 inhabitants) are invited to the program annually.
The “Green Leader” has three thematic paths to choose from:
- sustainable waste management
- retention and counteracting drought
- improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
The program aims to gain knowledge about specific solutions within each thematic path, cooperation with specialists, experts and practitioners supporting teams in developing and implementing an action plan, and exchanging experiences between participants.
To get more information about the program visit its website: zielonylider.org
Green Leaders in 2021
We realised the first edition of the program in 2021. 14 leadership teams (with the support of experts) worked within the paths they chose:
- WATER // Local retention and drought prevention
- AIR // Improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- WASTE // Sustainable waste management
The excellent results of the pilot program made us implement the program in the following years.
Green Leaders in 2022
In 2022, 16 teams completed the program.
Funds for the Climate
Funds for the Climate is a network of NGO advisors supporting project implementers. In 2022 it was accompanied by a training and consulting program implemented by the Polish Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations (OFOP) in cooperation with the Sendzimir Foundation, aiming to build a nationwide network of advisors. The role of the advisors is to support local non-governmental organizations, as well as partnerships between organizations and local governments in Polish communes of up to 50,000 inhabitants. The consultants facilitate obtaining European funds for social and investment projects aimed at mitigation and adaptation to climate change. You can read more about this program on the OFOP website.
Project’s team
Maria Wiśnicka – project coordinator
Agata Czaplarska – organizational and communication support
Tomasz Bergier – blue and green infrastructure program expert
Karolina Maliszewska – training specialist, certified facilitator of the VISIS method
Agnieszka Czachowska – trainer, architect, and certified facilitator of the VISIS method
The “Green Leader” project is financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation.
