Greening cities for climate change adaptation – what role can business play?

Climate change (drought, violent winds, urban floods, heat waves) pose an increasing challenge for Polish cities and their inhabitants. Local governments will not be able to prepare cities for these changes without the support of other entities, including business. Of course, only some business sectors have a significant impact on urban space, however, every company can contribute to greening cities. What are the possible forms of action? Where can you look for inspiration?

Green your surroundings!

It is a good start to introduce more greenery where possible and reduce the sealing of the surface in the areas under the company’s management. Many inspiring examples of how to do this can be found in the Sendzimir Foundation brochures (https://sendzimir.org.pl/publikacje/broszury-instruktazowe-dot-zwiekszania-retencji-krajobrazowej/). There are so many possibilities and changes can not only enhance biodiversity but also increase the visual attractiveness and user friendliness of these spaces. A good example of such an initiative is the latest project of the Sendzimir Foundation for Copernicus Science Center. In a participatory manner, we have developed a concept how to change the surrounding of the museum, that will not only increase biodiversity, but will offer a lot of new experiences to the users of this area (https://sendzimir.org.pl/koncepcja-zagospodarowania-otoczenia-centrum-nauki-kopernik/).

Employee and stakeholder education

Another option is to involve business in social and educational campaigns promoting green and blue infrastructure. The level of involvement may vary depending on the needs and possibilities of each company. The company may subsidize already prepared actions or create new ones in cooperation with non-governmental organizations. The Sendzimir Foundation has been practically educating children and adults about the importance of water retention in the city for years, implementing practical workshops on creating rain gardens, establishing flower meadows, and gardens with native plants. The offer of various workshops can be found at https://sendzimir.org.pl/wspolpraca/praktyczne-warsztaty/. As a result, not only is an innovative element of blue-green infrastructure created, but also workshop participants have a great time doing something valuable. This can be a good start but we can look together for different ideas!

Author:

Karolina Maliszewska, CEO of Fundacja Sendzimira

Last Updated on March 18, 2021 by Karolina Ampulska