A campaign to raise awareness and motivation among young people to tackle climate change through a series of science workshops was launched among school and university students across the country. "Our Planet, Our Climate" is a campaign by the Environment Programme (EP) 2021-2027 and the Winds of Change initiative that will run from 15 May 2024 to 30 April 2025.

"The initiative is new for Bulgaria, so we are providing our support for its promotion. The campaign is necessary to show what challenges we will have to face in terms of climate change. This is a natural continuation of the long-standing efforts of the Environment Program to promote environmental awareness among young citizens in Bulgaria," said Galina Simeonova, Head of the Operational Programme Environment Directorate at the Ministry of Environment. "All of us as society are excited about measures to tackle climate change. This year it is important that we put Bulgaria at the centre of climate events, such as the 61st Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change session, which will be held in Bulgaria. Sofia will host this forum, which puts the country on the map of processes that are important for society and the world," said Viktor Atanasov, Deputy Minister of Environment and Water with the climate portfolio.

According to him, being under the spotlight is an opportunity to show Bulgaria's commitment. "Each of us is already feeling the effects of human interference, so it is extremely important to have prevention and to build policies, the guidelines of which will be outlined by the IPCC session," Deputy Minister Atanasov said. He thanked the Wind of Change partners for supporting the efforts of the institutions in working with young people who will be more responsible and knowledgeable about the implementation of climate change policies that remain sometimes invisible.

"The Climate Fresco, through which the campaign will be conducted in the form of a game among young people, is a very interesting tool that will help to show the issue of climate change more clearly," said Milia Dimitrova, Head of the Directorate General for Climate Change Policies at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. She noted the campaign is very good because it will be rolled out across the country, not just in Sofia. "Businesses, politicians and every single person - we all have a responsibility to keep the planet a pleasant place to live," said Magdalena Maleeva, creator of the Wind of Change initiative.

The target audience for the campaign is high school and university students, said Gergana Berova from Wind of Change. "The goal is to raise awareness, engage and motivate young people so they know there is something they can do, as well as empower them by giving them the tools to act," added Berova. The workshops are planned to be take place in 20 schools and universities with a total of 500 pupils in the school grades 9, 10 and 11 and university students. By the end of the school year, the game will be held in four schools and one university. During the workshop, participants will learn about climate change and human activity, the causes of some climate changes and the consequences for the planet.

The organizers will encourage group projects for students to calculate the carbon footprint of each student and the entire school. Hence, a plan can be drawn up to reduce emissions in each school where the campaign has taken place.