BackHAZGONE platform ready to support municipalities for a tox-free environment
The Interreg Baltic Sea Region has granted funding to the project platform HAZGONE, to which PA Hazards is associated. The platform is one of eight to have received funding, among strong competition! The project platforms are capitalisation tools to build on project results collaborate further.
Work on hazardous substances and micropollutants is often divided into two categories: “upstream” (prevention, substitution, disposal of hazardous substances) and “downstream” (removal, monitoring, analysis of micropollutants). The HAZGONE platform will combine these approaches, equipping local and national authorities, non-governmental organisations, business associations and others with a holistic understanding of the sources and pathways.
Normunds Vagalis, project manager and representative from Riga municipality, expresses how pleased the Riga municipality is to take on the role of lead partner in this platform project. Moreover, he is excited about what the platform can bring for municipalities.
“I find the development of tailored training moduls for different target groups, including local authorities, particularly promising. The training modules will undoubtedly help authorities in their outreach and awareness-raising activities and help them better engage with their communities.”
– Normund Vagalis, project manager, Riga municipality
Riga municipality has already made significant strides in the area through their work with the NonHazCity project. The ambition is to foster positive change by encouraging participants to explore innovative solutions within the framework of sustainability and a tox-free environment.
The UBC Sustainable Cities Commission is another dedicated partner, leading the work on capacity building and outreach.
“We in UBC Sustainable Cities Commission, as leaders in capacity building and outreach for the HAZGONE platform project, are proud to coordinate efforts that empower local authorities to drive a lasting change towards circular and climate-neutral future. Through collaboration and innovation, UBC SCC will help bridge knowledge, share best practices, and ensure that the impact of circularity, climate action, and chemical management is present everywhere in our region.”
– Agnieszka Ilola, Head of Secretariat, Union of the Baltic Cities
The HazGone platform brings together 12 partners and the know-how from over 14 international projects such as NonHazCity 1-3, EMPEREST, ChemClimCircle1-2 and APRIORA, which each brings a piece of the puzzle to solving the issue of hazardous substances and micropollutants in our environment.
The platform will:
- establish a network of stakeholders providing public forums, online events;
- bring tailored outreach materials to the target groups, enabling them to reach their communities;
- assist national authorities and treatment plants with the adoption to the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive;
- take the collected knowledge to the policy level
The holistic approach to hazardous substances is vital for tackling the problem from both ends of the “pipe” and ensuring a better state of the Baltic, both for the environment and our own health.
The project platform will formally kick off in July 2025 and initially run for three years.
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