Activity 3

Within the activities for the Youth/Green ImPACT Project, the school forum entitled Towards a Green Deal for Rubí and for Europe was held, addressed at year two compulsory secondary students (ESO) from the La Serreta, J. V. Foix, L'Estatut and Duc de Montblanc schools.

The politicians participating in this session were:

• Moisés Rodríguez Cantón, councilman for City Promotion
• Víctor García Correas, councilman for Children and Education
• Annabel Cuesta Fabre, councilwoman for Youth
• Andrés Medrano Muñoz, city councilman for Environment, Energy Transition and Animal Welfare in Rubí

Carlota Martí Niubó, head of Media for European Commission Representation in Barcelona, also participated.

Presentation

Moisés Rodríguez Cantón opened the session, highlighting the goals of the Youth/Green ImPACT Project and the impact it creates by directly involving local young people, increasing their interest in the European Green Deal, the existing city model and the European Union’s role in Rubí to make it a greener and more sustainable place.

Speech by Carlota Martí Niubó

The institutional representative of the European Commission office, Carlota Martí Niubó, focused on presenting the European Green Deal centred on what young people are demanding of institutions and policies in order to take action against climate change and help the environment. She also set out the European Commission’s six priorities, placing the European Green Deal as one of the keys to the EU’s actions today.

Speech by Andrés Medrano Muñoz

Andrés Medrano Muñoz made special mention of the existing municipal policies that have been put into practice by the Rubí City Council related to the ecological and environmental transition.  He explained climate change and its impacts on the Earth and on citizens, and measures that could be executed to mitigate it through an ecological transition.

The councilman for Environment and Sustainability also presented the Ecological Transition Plan for Rubí, explaining its six core areas.

Structured dialogue between youth and politicians

Students from different Rubí schools had the chance during the session to have a structured dialogue, posing several questions to the political and institutional representatives on the environment, the European Green Deal and the climate future in Rubí. They asked these questions:

• Are you optimistic about the European Green Deal? Do you believe the objectives will be achieved between now and 2050?
• What changes can we make most easily at our school and in our homes to reduce CO₂ emissions?
• Will bus ticket prices drop and could there be more buses running at night so people use it more?
• What will happen with the nuclear power stations? Will they close? They don’t emit CO₂, but aren’t they really dangerous?
• What more can we do so that people recycle more than they currently do and apply the 3Rs to pollute less?
• Could a bicycle hire service be started up in Rubí? And also have electric bicycles since there are people who cannot ride a normal bike?
• Will you add more public electric vehicles?
• With regard to building renovation, will it be done with economic aid from governments, or will citizens have to pay?
• How can the situation of excess waste at schools be effectively improved?
• Have you considered doing any campaign or action so that the riverbank is not so dirty?
• With the current growth rate, could there be problems supplying drinking water?
• What short-term measures on sustainability have you outlined for the city?
• What measures have been considered to solve environmental problems at a European level?
• What policies are currently related to the use of renewable energies? And in the future?
• Are there plans to expand the green areas at Ca n’Oriol?
• I’ve seen informational posters in some shops on the sustainable development goals… What are they? Are they being applied in Rubí?
• How can education policies help to mitigate climate change?

Watch the complete video of the session: