Today, in a historic moment for the protection of the environment and for the fight against pollution in Bucharest and Ilfov, the meeting committees for the environment and for forests in the Senate voted unanimously in favor of some crucial amendments to the new forestry code. These amendments aim to protect the forests of Ilfov against commercial exploitation and represent the cornerstone of the future Bucharest-Ilfov Green Belt. It is a vital step towards a healthier environment and a more sustainable future for all the inhabitants of Bucharest and Ilfov.
The Ministry of the Environment officially supports this approach, along with parliamentarians from all political parties. According to this study, protecting forests is essential for public health and combating climate change. Thus, the Bucharest-Ilfov Green Belt becomes more than an infrastructural project, but a complex initiative that takes into account the health and well-being of citizens.
In this process, over 150 non-governmental organizations, civic groups and public persons, under the umbrella of the Civic Platform Together for the Green Belt and with the support of the Presidential Administration, presented a Memorandum for Clean Air, Health and the Future, to politicians and authorities. This apolitical initiative aims to bring to the attention of political decision-makers the need to protect the environment and combat pollution.
One of the provisions of this Memorandum aims at the realization and adoption of an integrated plan of the Bucharest City Hall and the Ilfov County Council to combat pollution, an essential step in the efforts to reduce the impact of pollution on the health of the inhabitants.
The proposed amendments, submitted by MPs Diana Buzoianu (USR) and Oana Cambera (REPER), were supported by several MPs from all political parties, including the current Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet (PNL), and the former Minister of the Environment, Tanczos Barna (UDMR). This unanimous vote shows a rare consensus in Romanian politics and highlights the importance of protecting the environment for our common future.
In addition, the assembled commissions voted for free access to the forests for recreation, a decision that reflects the importance society places on nature and green spaces in the context of rampant urbanization.
“The forest around the cities means much more than the timber or the monetary value of the wood. Infinitely more. The forest means oxygen. It means Life. The forest means health, including mental health. It means therapy and healing for a society increasingly alienated by the loss of connection and abandonment of the man who makes it up. The forest is containment. The forest is love”said Alex Găvan, founder of Civic Platform Together for the Green Belt.
This vote is an important step towards protecting the environment and ensuring a better future for all citizens. At a time when climate change and pollution pose serious threats to health and the environment, such initiatives are vital to building a more sustainable and responsible society.
Through an online petition, citizens are encouraged to join these efforts and ask political decision-makers for concrete measures for Clean Air, Health and the Future. Today, each of us can contribute to creating a healthier and more sustainable environment for future generations.
Tags: BucharestIlfov Green Belt essential agreement Parliament
