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Description
The aim of the project is horizontal integration of environmental, climate and biodiversity issues in political decision-making procedures in Latvia, with purpose to oversee and evaluate the political processes related to environmental issues, initiate a discussion on environmental and nature issues among politicians and achieve integration of these issues in the agenda of Latvian politicians and policy makers. This is the first comprehensive evaluation of political parties and policy decisions from the environmental perspective that is carried out by the leading Latvian environmental organizations.
The main activities of the project are assessment tool for political parties, "The Green Grill" – round table political discussions, "The Green Tests" - short video interviews with politicians to check their understanding and self-commitment towards green habits, podcast series with main environmental challenges being discussed, as well as public opinion polls.
The expected results of the project are much deeper understanding of environmental, nature and climate issues among decision makers and general public, incorporation of these issues into political programs and policy makers’ agendas, as well as raising public awareness on green lifestyle and environmentally friendly habits.
The Latvian electorate will mostly benefit from the project as regular reviews concerning political agendas in environmental, nature and climate issues will be published, with particular intensity before local and governmental elections.
Summary of project results
Despite many political decisions made in strategies, conventions, action programs, regulations and laws, biodiversity in Latvia, the European Union and the world unfortunately continues to decline. This results not only in species extinction as a moral problem, but also in many crises affecting human well-being.
The related project challenges are as follows:
-Public attitude and involvement:
Public passivity on environmental issues, despite support for the idea;
Low understanding of the importance of civil society and the role of organizations;
Insufficient individual participation and disbelief in the impact of personal actions.
-Dominance of economic interests:
Lobbying of certain sectors, which promotes more intensive use of resources, ignoring the principles of sustainable development.
-Narrowing of civil society space:
Threats to democratic participation and decision-making processes related to the restriction of civic space.
1. Party analysis, evaluation and monitoring: the core activity on which the other project activities were based and which formed the substantive and factual basis of the project. Analysis of party programs, statements of politicians, party positions and votes formed the basis for “mapping” political parties according to their greenness. The evaluation was supplemented by green recommendations prepared by environmental NGOs and, together with active communication about them with the public, ensured that each individual could make an individual, justified and informed assessment of the “greenness” of the parties. The public was actively involved, inviting them to make voting decisions and other political choices (signing petitions, other forms of participation), also taking into account the parties’ positions on environmental, climate and nature issues. Every two months, a review of significant events in politics that have affected environmental, nature and climate issues was prepared and published. Before the local elections in 2021 and the 14th Saeima elections in 2022, an assessment of each party was published, and before the elections, the parties were informed about the Green Barometer''s settings, calling on them to include environmental, climate and nature protection issues in their political goals.
2. "Green Grill" - a cycle of ten political discussions with party representatives for the general public and with media representatives was implemented.
3. "Green Tests" - a survey of politicians in short video format (10 videos), which were distributed via social media.
4. Podcast "Green Barometer" (20 podcasts) - environmental, nature and climate topics in the context of political developments and decisions.
5. Public opinion polls: one survey at the beginning of the project to find out what place environmental and nature issues have on the current agenda of residents; one survey before the Saeima elections to find out what residents demand from politicians in the field of environment and nature, as well as one survey in the final year of the project to assess changes in the "green" agenda of residents.
6. Preparation of an application to the Constitutional Court in cooperation with partners – the Latvian Ornithological Society, the Latvian Organic Farming Association, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Green Freedom – prepared and submitted an application to the Constitutional Court regarding the possible non-compliance of the Cabinet Regulation No. 935 “Regulations on felling trees in the forest” adopted in June 2022 with Article 115 of the Satversme “The State protects everyone’s right to live in a favorable environment, providing information on the state of the environment and taking care of its preservation and improvement”. The organization won in court (in April 2024, after the project was completed).
7. Representation of environmental interests at the national level – four meetings were held with ministers, members of the Saeima and their factions, or ministry officials. As part of the activity, LDF, together with partners, continued the interest representation work on the Nature Restoration Regulation.
The project promoted public understanding of political parties’ attitudes towards the environment and climate issues by analysing party platforms, politicians’ statements and votes, as well as organising discussions, surveys and information events. In addition, concrete results were achieved, such as a victory in the Constitutional Court on the inconsistency of tree felling regulations with the Constitution and advocacy in the development of the Nature Restoration Regulation.
-Green Barometer partner organizations have significantly strengthened their capacity for representing interests and engaging the public in decision-making and influencing processes; more members from these organizations are involved in decision-making processes. The organizations regularly meet with decision-makers, monitor the development of regulatory enactments and policy planning documents, and engage in commenting on and discussing them. All five project organizations signed the "Green Barometer" memorandum for further cooperation in September 2023.
-Green Barometer activities have contributed to putting climate, environmental and nature protection issues on the public agenda, as a result of which the movement has become significantly more active.
-The desire to engage in political processes and various forms of protest is proof that civil society is not apathetic. The increase in such activities means that the proportion of citizens who believe in their personal ability to influence decision-making processes has increased.
-Green Barometer has commented on and/or participated in public consultations on every major policy planning document or regulatory act in project years. Involvement in decision-making processes has become more systematic, frequent, better coordinated and more reasoned.
In summary, the initiative has significantly strengthened the capacity of partner organizations to represent environmental interests and involve the public in decision-making processes, promoting more active participation and interest in climate and environmental issues. The project''s systematic involvement in policy planning and consultations has increased public confidence in its ability to influence decisions and promoted coordinated and reasoned action.