PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
According to a recent public opinion poll, only 39% of Poles consider climate change as an important negative phenomenon, so the need for a climate policy and the development of renewable energy sources is often questioned. It is therefore important to stimulate public debate about the current energy generation model, and raise awareness of the need for a more balanced view of energy and climate change policies.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE_WZROST_PL project was an information campaign promoting the idea of a sensible policy for climate change and sustainable development. It set out to raise public awareness in Poland about the necessity of actions (at national, EU and global level) in fields such as climate change, alternative growth paths, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and sustainable consumption. This would be achieved through a feature-length documentary and a series of short films broadcast on TV and promoted through social media. Additional project goals would focus on aiding the development of existing platforms of cooperation between interested parties, exchanging information on climate change, supporting more effective compliance and implementation of EU climate legislation through the dissemination of best practices, and getting stakeholders (including non-governmental organisations) more involved in consultations and the implementation of climate policy.
RESULTS
More than 8.1 million people viewed the 10 short films created by the project. These 5-minute films were broadcast on the Discovery Channel and associated networks to raise awareness of the need for climate action in Poland. The 83 minute-long documentary (The tipping point. Energy aNew) was screened at Poland's largest documentary film festival, where it won the 'Green Warsaw Award' for best environmental documentary. It was subsequently shown in 8 Polish cities, as well as in Berlin and Brussels. Both the documentary and the TV programmes can be viewed on multiple social media platforms. The project team used bloggers and YouTubers to spread its messages and build buzz about the documentary and short films. The blogging campaign achieved over 4.3 million views, nearly twice as many as anticipated at the start of the project. Over 2.5 million citizens were reached online and the project counts 15 million contacts resulting from media coverage of its messages. Surveys of audiences before and after screenings showed increased support for climate policy and renewable energy. Surveys at the beginning and end of the project indicate that more Polish citizens are aware of climate change and what the EU is doing to counter it. The project's awareness-raising actions may have played a part in increased public support for EU climate policy (from 78% in 2016 to 85% in 2018). WWF Poland also produced 'Friendly Development of Poland', a well-received written report for politicians and stakeholders on the climate and energy challenges facing the country and the need for more energy efficiency and a greater share of renewables. The project's actions have contributed to a more positive policy outlook, which includes developments such as the introduction of feed-in tariffs for biogas plants, regulations on coal-fired domestic boilers, the adoption of an anti-smog law by five regions, and an air quality 'czar' to coordinate government anti-smog policy. Valuable lessons from the project have been turned into guidelines for others carrying out environmental awareness campaigns. These are available to download from its website. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
