RESULTS

PROJECT EFFECTS

SOCIAL INDICATORS

1. Increased percentage of communes in the Opole Voivodeship implementing AQPs, including those running a subsidy scheme for more ecological heat sources replacement – 60% (as at 31/12/2019: 50%).
2. Awareness raising meaning the percentage of inhabitants of the Opole Voivodeship declaring the intention to change the source of heat for more ecological or those who have already changed the source of heat 30%

ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS:

1. Number of replaced individual heat sources for more ecological
2. Avoided (reduced) annual PM10 dust emission in 2022 from the municipal and housing sector in the result of the corrective actions carried out in AQP
3. Reduction of CO2 annual emissions in 2022 from the municipal and housing sector in the result of the corrective actions carried out in AQP

Observations and conclusions regarding the dynamics of corrective actions and project results will be correlated with the provisions of the antismog resolution envisaged for updating, including the introduction of tougher requirements regarding the elimination of non-ecological heating sources.

In addition, the project will contribute to the achievement of EU policies:

in environmental aspect: increase energy efficiency of buildings and reduction of

primary energy consumption, increasing the share of renewable energy (PV panels,

heat pumps), reduction of generated waste from furnaces,

• in social aspect: recovery from poverty, increase of public administration efficiency

in relation to implementation of all plans and programs implemented, increase of

service quality, reduction of administrative burdens, easier access to environmental protection information

• in the economic aspect and digital society: increase in employment in modern
• sectors of the economy (IT, RES),
• in the aspect of B&R: promoting Citizens Science and cooperation between science,

business and administration.

The effects of using the IT system:

1. obtaining a reduced administrative burden (e-service for residents carrying out the heat boilers exchange process),
2. improving the availability of information on air quality (e-service on the current state of air quality, updated in real time),
3. information exchange between authorities (database of all issued permits issued from the territory of the voivodeship),
4. automation of the reporting process.

Model of air protection programme management

One of the most important activities is the creation of an air quality management system in the Opolskie Voivodeship through, inter alia, ensuring and maintaining a high level of cooperation of local decision-makers in activities aimed at ensuring air quality standards.

The air protection program for the Opolskie Voivodeship was adopted by Resolution No. XX / 193/2020 of the Opole Regional Assembly of 28 July 2020 on the adoption of the “Air protection program for the Opolskie Voivodeship” (Journal of Laws of the Opolskie Voivodeship, item 2186, published 5 August 2020) and entered into force on August 20, 2020.

The anti-smog resolution was adopted by Resolution No. XXXXII / 367/2017 of the Opole Regional Assembly of September 26, 2017 on the introduction of restrictions on the operation of installations in which fuel combustion takes place in the area of the Opolskie Voivodeship and is effective from November 1, 2017.

In the years 2014-2020, a total of about 13.5 thousand people were liquidated individual fuel combustion installations in the Opolskie Voivodeship and regular inspections of waste incineration and compliance with the requirements of the anti-smog resolution were carried out.

Establishment and work of the Steering Committee of the LIFE Project

On December 29, 2020, the Management Board of the Opolskie Voivodeship appointed the Steering Committee for the LIFE Project (hereinafter referred to as KS LIFE).

On January 11, 2021, the first KS LIFE meeting was held – the meeting was attended by representatives of the Marshal Office, 42 municipalities / cities participating in the project, representatives of the Opole University of Technology, representatives of the project partner – the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Chief Inspector of Building Supervision, representation of Czech countries (Moravian-Silesian Region and Olomouc Region), as well as representatives of other units and organizations: WFOŚiGW in Opole, Opole Smog Alert (OAS), representatives of entrepreneurs – Opole Business Center Club (BCC).

On April 21, 2021, the second KS LIFE meeting was held.

Increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of service to residents

As part of the LIFE AQP project, 42 municipal / communal AQP Coordinators will be employed – from August 2021 to July 2022, whose tasks will be:

• supporting residents by providing assistance in the preparation of, for example, applications for co-financing, selection of heating sources or advice on how to thermomodernise the building,
• organization of min. 10 meetings with residents in the commune,
• preparation of an educational campaign, e.g. preparation of articles in the press, radio or TV spots, distribution of information materials, leaflets, brochures,
• carrying out research on buildings with a thermal imaging camera.

Designing a program of training the competences of the AQP Coordinator

Systematization and standardization of competences of people dealing with the subject of air protection in communes and poviats:

• Program of training the competences of the AQP coordinator;
• One-month preparatory course – September 2021;
• Two-semester postgraduate studies – from October 2021 to June 2022

Implementation of the education process of all commune and poviat AQP Coordinators. In total, 90 people will be covered by the education program in the form of postgraduate studies.

Expected result: 40 certified auditors of the environmental standard of a residential building.

Preparation of a cooperation platform

Preparation of a program of 12 seminars for AQP Coordinators and other partners. Thanks to such activities, AQP Coordinators, in addition to completing postgraduate studies, will have the opportunity to actively participate in the seminar and workshop part, thanks to which each of them will be able to prepare themselves even better for the performance of their duties. This formula will also include the exchange of good practices and the unification of the standard of performed tasks and processes.

Educational and information campaign

Preparation of educational materials and materials supporting the process of social activation in the field of OP implementation: development of a draft information brochure, constituting material for residents participating in municipal trainings and educational meetings; developing a training outline, indicating the purpose of the training, the characteristics of the target group, the form of training and the course of the training and the use of the presentation as an educational tool.

Conducting environmental education in the field of air quality – from October 2021 to July 2022.

As part of its role, each municipal / communal POP Coordinator will conduct a minimum of 10 meetings of a training, educational and activating nature with the inhabitants of your commune. These meetings will be related to raising the awareness of residents in terms of their impact on air quality, the importance of air quality for the quality of life, available solutions supporting remedial actions (e.g. co-financing programs for replacing heating sources with more ecological ones or for thermal modernization activities).

In total, min. 400 meetings (training, educational and activation meetings).

Planning and implementing the dissemination of knowledge and project results

• development and implementation of the project website – by the end of March 2021;
• design and construction of information boards about the project – by July 2021;
• development and implementation of films promoting the project and its results – by June 2022;
• preparation of a report for a layman – by September 2022;
• implementing the promotion of the project and activities in local media (in the localities of communal beneficiaries) on the local radio, in TV commercials (including through spot broadcasts) – from October 2021 to July 2022.

As part of the action, a number of meetings will be organized, including:

• one-day coordination meetings in Opole at the seat of UMWO, of which there will be 12 throughout the duration of the project;
• One-day conference in Opole – opening the project, during which the project with its assumptions and goals will be publicly announced – April 2021;
• a one-day conference – summarizing the project, which will summarize the implemented goals of the project – Q3 2022;
• one-day forum in Opole – disseminating the results of the project, it will be an open conference where every citizen will be able to register, listen to prepared lectures and exchange views on a given topic – Q3 2022.

Networking with other LIFE and other air quality management projects

One of the most important tasks in the project will be networking with other LIFE projects and other air quality management projects.

For this purpose, active activities are planned in the organization of conferences, as well as participation in other conferences on this topic:

• two-day conference with Czech partners in Ostrava – 2022;
• two-day conference with Czech partners in Olomouc – 2022;
• conference in the European Union presenting the results of the project – Q3 2022;
• two-day conference in Opole summarizing the project – Q3 2022

Research on social awareness of the problem of low emissions

As part of the project, in order to examine public awareness of the problem of low emissions, on the basis of the prepared questionnaire, public awareness surveys will be carried out twice:

• until May 31, 2021;
• until August 31, 2022

Each time, the study will be performed on a sample of 1,000 residents. The area covered by the study – all communes of the Opolskie Voivodeship.

The awareness survey began on April 21, 2021.

Preparation of the IT system

During the LIFE project, IT solutions will be created – a system supporting the management and monitoring of air quality.

1. Preparation of an IT system design – by December 2021.
2. Preparation of a database with an inventory of low emission sources and a database for significant emission sources located in the Opolskie Voivodeship for which integrated permits have been issued.
3. Building an IT system:

• supporting the process of planning and managing corrective actions;
• facilitating electronic preparation of necessary documents, e.g. related to the process of exchanging heat sources, supporting the process of subsidy settlement, correctness control and reporting;
• supporting reporting on the implementation of the air protection program for entities implementing remedial actions;
• supporting reporting on the implementation of the air protection program for the Ministry of Climate and Environment and for the Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection.

Voivodship information system on the state of air quality

Preparation of a highly dispersed regional air quality monitoring system in close to real time – by July 2021 project preparation, by June 2022 an operational system.

Increasing the access to information on the state of air quality will be achieved by launching a highly dispersed regional network for air quality monitoring and modeling in near real time in the form of an e-service – collecting and sharing data on concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in a consistent manner. Moreover, meteorological parameters influencing physicochemical changes and dispersion of pollutants, such as temperature, pressure and humidity, will be measured.

Increasing access to information on the state of air quality will be achieved through:

• launching a highly dispersed regional network for air quality monitoring and modeling in near real time in the form of an e-service;
• purchase of 71 sensors (one in each commune of the Opolskie Voivodeship);
• modeling the dispersion of pollutants;
• Czech countries (11 network nodes) included.