Centura Verde Foundation and the Bucharest City Hall announced the entry of the Bucharest\u2013Ilfov Green Belt project into its operational phase following the signing of the implementation protocol. The agreement represents a key step toward creating a natural buffer zone around Romania\u2019s capital to improve air quality, protect biodiversity, and support sustainable urban development.<\/p>\n
The protocol will be included on the agenda of the Bucharest General Council meeting at the end of October and will then be signed by the city manager, according to the Centura Verde\/Green Belt Foundation. Once adopted, it will guide the drafting and implementation of the Operational Plan for the Bucharest\u2013Ilfov Green Belt.<\/p>\n
The initiative will be developed in cooperation with the Ilfov County Council and other public authorities, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector, according to the press release.<\/p>\n
The announcement was made during the Climate Change Summit held at the Palace of Parliament on Tuesday, October 21, during a session dedicated to the Green Belt initiative. The event was attended by Bucharest city manager Lucian Judele, state adviser Oana Cambera, and Alex G\u0103van, president of the Centura Verde Foundation and founder of the \u00cempreun\u0103 pentru Centura Verde\/Together for the Green Belt civic platform.<\/p>\n
In a message delivered at the summit, president Nicu\u0219or Dan reaffirmed his support for the project, describing climate action as \u201ca strategic investment in our collective security, health, and prosperity.\u201d As mayor of Bucharest in 2023, he had signed the original memorandum<\/a> that set the foundation for the Green Belt initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cBucharest is a dynamic city, a city that is changing, a city full of opportunities, but it needs a Green Belt. Experts tell us that the best solutions are natural ones. I would add that they are also the most efficient and easiest to implement. Imagine how Bucharest will look in the future, when its forests, lakes, and meadows form a Green Belt around the city,\u201d said Lucian Judele.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also added that he would ensure that, by the end of October, the protocol would be on the agenda of the Bucharest General Council, voted on, and, together with the Ilfov County Council, turned into reality.<\/p>\n In her turn, Oana Cambera, state adviser in the prime minister\u2019s office, stated: \u201cThe Bucharest\u2013Ilfov Green Belt has never been an abstract project, but a concrete one, about people\u2019s lives and their quality of life, and its implementation can bring countless benefits for the city and its residents. The efforts surrounding the Green Belt are an inspiring example for all of us, showing how civil society, experts, the legislative branch, and executive authorities can work together to turn an aspiration into reality – through legislation and implementation.\u201d<\/p>\n Centura Verde Foundation president Alex G\u0103van called the Green Belt \u201cthe oxygen mask of the capital and its metropolitan area,\u201d adding: \u201cBy signing this protocol, we are moving from vision and political and administrative consensus to concrete executive action.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, Ciprian G\u0103lu\u0219c\u0103, the foundation\u2019s executive director, noted that Bucharest must \u201calign with major European capitals investing in green infrastructure critical for climate adaptation and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n The video recording of the announcement at the Climate Change Summit is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Initiators say the Bucharest\u2013Ilfov Green Belt has been designed as a public health and green infrastructure project, aimed at improving air quality, reducing emissions, mitigating urban heat and extreme weather effects, increasing forested areas, and protecting biodiversity. It will also promote sustainable urban planning, boost local tourism, and encourage environmentally friendly mobility.<\/p>\n