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Conference “Together for a Green Growth”

On Thursday, March 23, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MoEPRD) as the Operator of the Norway grant programme “Environment and Climate”, in cooperation with the Norwegian Environment Agency, organized the conference “Together for a Green Growth”. The event brought together almost 400 online and 50 offline participants, representing various community groups, as well as environmental and climate-related institutions from Latvia, Norway, Estonia, and the Czech Republic. After the conference, its participants have gathered new ideas and are ready to do more for a sustainable and green future of Latvia.

The Parliamentary Secretary of MoEPRD, opening the event, emphasized:

“Our goal is to create a clean and well-maintained environment in Latvia, to encourage society to engage in the creation of a ‘green’ lifestyle. We must be aware that pollution is not just a problem in Latvia, pollution finds ways to spread further, so this problem must be addressed jointly at both the individual and national levels.”

During the conference, representatives of the Environment and Climate Programme presented the achievements so far and success stories of projects, as well as experts in the field of environment and climate shared their experiences on how important is the involvement of society in achieving the common goal of green growth.

The President of the Norwegian Children and Youth Council, Margrete Bjørge Katanasho, shared Norway’s experience in successful youth involvement in implementing climate change mitigation measures. Youth involvement in the work of various public organizations is crucial for their personal development – it develops communication skills, cooperation and problem-solving competencies, creates a sense of community, promotes social responsibility, and provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience, such as organizing events and projects.

To get acquainted with the thoughts and desires of the new generation, young people with an environmentally and climate-friendly lifestyle were invited to participate in the panel discussion – Sebastians Šmits, Estere Marta Balode, Artis Stūrītis and NGO representatives Līga Stokmane-Blaua, Katrīna Madara Stadgale, Nikola Kleinberga. One of the main insights of the discussion was not only that youth organizations are an excellent platform to learn the latest environmental and climate information but also the need to review and change their habits to promote sustainable development with small everyday environmentally friendly habits and reduce the impact of climate change on the environment.

At the end of the conference, the award ceremony for the best photographs in the “Environment, Climate, and Me” photo contest took place. Until March 1st, 2023, anyone interested had the opportunity to participate in the photo contest and submit pictures in two categories: “Human” and “Environment”.

The photo contest was organized as a publicity event for the conference, to address every member of society, encouraging them to look around, see the beauty, and reflect on environmental and climate problems, because each of us can make a small but important contribution to the future preservation of the environment.

A total of 127 photographs were submitted for the contest, from which the contest jury selected the top five photographers in each of the categories:

Category Environment

1st place – Sandra Greize for the photograph entitled “Sunset”

When we are in the countryside, work drives us and we don’t really have time for rest, but if we manage to raise our eyes, we often freeze with excitement – what a living painting, nature paints for us every evening!
Location: Pargaujas county, Daibe
Date: 27 August, 2022

2nd place – Artūrs Daukulis for the photograph entitled “The Heartbeat of the river Gauja”

Where the river Gauja has reached a length of just 10 km, it flows through several lakes in the vicinity of Taurene. In places, it forms its own small extensions, like this one – in the shape of a heart.
Location: Near Taurene
Date: 13 July, 2021

3rd place – Uldis Laganovskis for the photograph entitled “The oak tree of Kaltene”

This aerial photo was taken at a height of 100m above the rocky beach of Kaltene during the winter, and it includes a unique shot that cannot be observed every day. The photo shows a small river Zulniekvalks, which flows into the sea, creating an exciting silhouette of a tree on the frozen rocks and water.
Aerial photo allows you to see the beauty of nature from other point of view. The feeling of stillness and coldness of winter is also shown through the tones and colors of the image, creating a calm and fascinating landscape. Aerial photo not only delights the viewer, but also gives free rein to the imagination.
Location: Kaltene’s rocky beach
Date: 27 November, 2019

4th place – Gunta Gavare for the photograph entitled “Four Seasons in Latvia”

“The four seasons in Latvia” – all together and each separately include both the beauty and variability of nature, as well as diversity. Living in Latvia, we are privileged to enjoy the change of these four seasons.
And being close at these times of the year, sometimes without even stepping out of the yard of my house, I can see, get excited, be proud and at the same time feel like the chosen one.
Location: in the yard of the house “Cerini”, Viresu parish, Smiltene county
Date: the photo was created at the end of 2022, as a Christmas greeting

5th place – Elizabete Dzalbe for the photograph entitled “The bee has landed on the small wad of water flowers to drink in the overgrown pond”

The photo reminds of two current problems – the danger of pollinators and eutrophication, when nutrient-rich water bodies overgrow and oxygen decreases in them. One of the main causes of eutrophication is the intensive fertilization of agricultural lands, while the reason for the disappearance of pollinators is the pesticides used on them.
Location: Pieriga
Date: 25 July, 2022

Category Human

1st place – Artūrs Daukulis for the photograph entitled “The oasis in Lucavsala”

In the very heart of Riga – Lucavsala, I have been relaxing in my vegetable garden for six years. I grew everything I could grow and put on a plate. I get water for watering by collecting rainwater from the roof of the gazebo.
Location: Riga, Lucavsala
Date: 9 June , 2021

2nd place – Gatis Vilbrants for the photograph entitled “Rascal at work”

You would think that the wind has always been like a teenager – it just fools around and rarely helps. Now it could be said that it is starting to grow-up – the wind is working, more and more often. I really enjoy watching others work…
Location: Saldus region
Date: 31 August 2022

3rd place – Elīna Alaoui-Soulimani for the photograph entitled “We Are One”

I want to hope that people understand more and more that we are one with nature! We are part of it. Nature can survive without humans, but will humans without nature?
Location: Cena Moorland Footpath
Date: 26 August, 2022

4th place – Elizabete Ļitovčenko for the photograph entitled “Joy and benefit”

This photo shows two people on a swing generating electricity to charge their phones. This creative way of using natural resources to meet technological needs is made possible by environmental and climate changes that require new solutions.
Location: AB dam, Riga
Date: 7 August , 2022

5th place – Uldis Laganovskis for the photograph entitled “SUP Festival”

This aerial photo was taken from a height of 100 meters above Vaidava Lake after sunset, where the SUP festival was taking place. Every year, the festival invites both experienced athletes and newcomers to participate in SUP paddling competitions in folk and sports classes, as well as enjoy magical moments during sunrise and sunset trips. The festival activities take place over several days, providing an opportunity to fully enjoy nature and active recreation. In the picture you can see the inflatable SUP boards, which are made of recycled materials and are of high quality and long life. SUP paddling is a popular sport and hobby that is environmentally friendly and promotes people’s active lifestyle and enjoyment of the environment. This aerial photo shows how people enjoy nature and recreation using modern and environmentally friendly methods.
Location: Vaidava Lake
Date: 31 July, 2021

Follow the Programme news for further updates and by May 2023, a conference report and a photo gallery will be published on the programme’s website norwaygrants.lv, so that everyone can get acquainted with all the photographs submitted for the competition!