Europe has faced strong demands in favor of environmental protection and a pressing need for an urgent response to emerging challenges. EU reports with indicators and summaries have shown that climate change was occurring and would worsen in the future; however, the impacts would be much less severe if efforts began: specific actions and adaptation to particular circumstances in different regions and cities of Europe had to be an effective response and solution. The AGROS project (Activation of Green Roofs Synergies as a tool for civic participation and environmental awareness) has been able to meet these needs and has been presented as a training solution with a purely practical approach in which we have been able to address: 1) Support for individuals to acquire and develop basic skills and key competencies, as citizens have acquired substantial skills and competencies for the design, implementation, use, and sustainable management of green roofs in climate protection and environmental action, and as drivers of significant change. The creation of products for the cultivation and transmission of green roofs for all moved in this direction while increasing people's civic response to important problems and solutions: an example of responsible participation. 2) Environmental and climate goals, as it supported awareness-raising about environmental challenges and effective responses within the training framework. Participants-learners were empowered to acquire relevant knowledge and skills as agents of change in their areas; they were given the opportunity to develop specific knowledge and the relevant context, opting for a sustainable lifestyle, enabling them to make changes in their behavior and acquire ecological skills. AGROS has supported citizens and members of local communities in general, as it conveyed to them, through training, the appropriate knowledge and inspiration to adopt this urban practice to the level they desired (green roofs could be simple and small-scale ventures up to larger and more complex constructions; materials were available to all parties, from beginners, professionals, or more conscious individuals). In this approach, participants were empowered with their awareness and environmental responses and proved to be active members in the effort for greater civic participation in EU society's problems: green roof synergies and their adoption as a valuable environmental practice with remarkable and positive results were a practice of active participation as it provided citizens with tools and ways to respond to environmental protection, sustainable development of areas, and improvement in the quality of life, while also creating more business and employment opportunities. AGROS was implemented by 7 partners (Municipality of La Palma del Condado-ALPDC, KAUNAS STP, XENIOS POLIS, LPS/LALRG, CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION, EURELATIONS, DA&DA) and referred to 7 participating countries: Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Latvia, Cyprus, Italy, France. The project addressed the following objectives: a) Promoting green roofs as citizens' response to environmental protection, active participation, and citizen involvement, and to municipalities and areas' sustainable development strategy. b) Providing target groups with all the necessary skills and knowledge oriented towards green roof practices. c) Contextualizing environmental prosperity and individual well-being through training on the benefits and awareness of green roofs. d) Creating and delivering innovative products and digital training tools based on differentiation methodologies and adult education approaches. SHORT-TERM RESULTS: - Participants-learners have acquired the proper and updated knowledge and skills in a variety of issues related to their environmental capacity, the adoption of green roofs, and their responses to responsible participation in climate protection. - Learners have been equipped with materials and tools that helped them in their skills improvement learning (digital learning, digital tools) - Professionals can pursue more job and business opportunities. - Educators/trainers have gained significant expertise related to how to "teach" environmental issue synergies and how to convey knowledge and skills to various contexts and audiences. - Communities have been guided toward new trends and have been able to discover new responses to these needs. LONG-TERM RESULTS: - Local communities have been strengthened and activated for their sustainability. - New networks have been created. - Sustainable private and public management schemes (with labor and business content) have been consolidated with the broader use of green roofs.
Through the AGROS project we seek: a) To create environmental awareness by inviting citizens to start thinking more environmentally. b) To expand the number of green roofs throughout the country, supporting citizens in the acquisition and development of basic skills and key competencies for the design, implementation, use and sustainable management of green roofs for climate protection, environmental challenges and effective responses. c) To raise environmental awareness about green roofs across Europe.
The world consciousness has recognized the importance of nature in our daily lives. However, there is no universal approach for communities to prepare and adapt to the various effects of climate change, as climate impacts differ between regions and even within the same country. Through AGROS, it is intended to educate citizens about the experiences of EU countries with green roofs and share good European practices in this area. The AGROS project contributes to finding the necessary solutions to global problems in terms of environmental degradation, as well as highlighting the importance of green roofs in environmental awareness. In this context, the consortium of countries came together to introduce, through innovative educational tools, the concept of green roofs to the public. However, the project also covers broader issues related to sustainability and climate change. It is designed to motivate people to take action instead of just passively watching, presenting a viable solution to the problem at hand.