Awards ceremony for the «Méi Natur an eise Schoulhäff» call for projects»
Serge Wilmes, the French Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, today (18 September 2024) congratulated the seven municipalities that have won awards as part of the Méi Natur an eise Schoulhäff« call for projects». The aim of this call for projects was to encourage local authorities in their efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change by demineralising the sealed surfaces of school grounds to give more space to green infrastructure.
„Beem a gréng Infrastrukture sinn eng Plus-value fir d'Biodiversitéit an déi beschte Moossnam fir am urbane Raum géint Hëtztwellen virzegoen. Dowéint ass et besonnesch bei de Schoulen immens wichteg vill Natur ze hunn fir eise Kanner an hirem Alldag eng besser Liewensqualitéit ze bidden.“
Serge Wilmes, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity
Méi Natur an eise Schoulhäff« call for projects»
The aim of the «Méi Natur an eise Schoulhäff» call for projects, launched in October 2023, was to encourage local authorities to introduce greening measures in school grounds, by demineralising sealed surfaces and replacing them with trees, shrubs or grassy areas.
Contributing to better water retention and lowering temperatures in towns and villages during heatwaves, urban greening is one of the responses to the effects of climate change. The demineralisation and greening of school grounds also improves and enhances the well-being of children and teaching staff at school.
Against this backdrop, it is all the more important to support local authorities that are committed to nature-based solutions. In response to the call for projects issued by the French Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, seventeen local authorities submitted concrete projects for the greening of school grounds. These projects are being carried out as part of a participatory approach involving the stakeholders concerned: pupils, teachers, educators and parents' associations.
A jury made up of a representative from the municipal sector (appointed by Syvicol), two representatives from consultancy firms specialising in town planning and landscaping (appointed by the Ordre des architectes et des ingénieurs-conseils), a representative from the Mouvement écologique, a representative of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, and a representative of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, selected seven winners who will receive financial support for their projects.
Rewarded projects
The project put forward by the municipality of Differdange to redevelop the courtyard of the «Um Bock» school in Oberkorn received the highest score from the jury and was awarded a prize by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes. The local authority will receive €500,000 in financial support from the Climate and Energy Fund of the Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity.
Developed thanks to the participation of the pupils, the school's teaching staff, the educational team at the halfway house and various local authority departments, the redevelopment of the courtyard at Um Bock school will significantly transform the current situation: the site will be almost entirely demineralised (-94%) and thirty-one trees will be planted to provide shade for the children.
„Hei zu Déifferdeng hunn mir eng Transitioun gemaach vun enger City of Steel zu eng City of Sports zu enger City of Nature. This is very important. Mir hunn eng schéin Natur hei zu Déifferdeng an déi wëlle mir och aktiv ëmmer méi an d'Häerz vun eiser Gemeng bréngen. Mir sinn amgaange vu Gro op Gréng ze goen an dëst ass e wichtege an neidege Change. Ech si ganz houfreg dass dës Philosophie hiren Wee och an eis Schoule fonnt huet an dass mir mat dësem Projet e grousse Schrëtt an déi Richtung goe kënnen. Méi Gréngs a méi Liewensqualitéit fir eis Kanner.‘
Guy Altmeisch, Mayor of the City of Differdange
Projects submitted by the municipalities of Sanem (Suessemer Schoul), Colmar-Berg (École élémentaire de Colmar-Berg), Mondercange (École de Pontpierre), Schifflange (École Lydie Schmit), Mondorf-les-Bains (Complexe scolaire Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa) and Troisvierges (École primaire de Troisvierges) also received awards.
As part of the «Naturpakt» programme, as well as measures to adapt to the effects of climate change, this call for projects is based on «nature-based solutions» and will help to increase our resilience in the face of climate change. The greening of our towns and villages is an important lever for storing water and protecting people and infrastructure in the event of storms or floods. On the other hand, in the event of the opposite phenomenon, i.e. periods of drought and heat waves, green spaces help to limit warming and contribute to the fight against heat islands. In addition to these microclimatic benefits, there are a host of other advantages, such as improved air quality, the preservation and promotion of biodiversity in urban areas and, more generally, a better quality of life for citizens.
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, has therefore announced that other similar calls for projects will be launched.