With the start of the heating season, there has been an extraordinary rise in the number of complaints received by the Clean Air Action Group from desperate residents who fear that they and their children could be at risk of getting a fatal disease from the burning of waste by their neighbours. Since the dangerous phenomenon spares no one, the environmental NGO is calling on the government to take immediate measures in a letter to Gergely Gulyás, the Minister of Prime Minister’s Office.
Over 100 NGOs Protest against Defense of Sovereignty Law
STATEMENT OF THE CIVILIZÁCIÓ COALITION The Hungarian Parliament is about to adopt the so-called Defense of Sovereignty Law. This is in fact the government's attempt to deter its own citizens from democratic participation and to discourage the discussion of public affairs. Over 100 Hungarian civil society organisations are protesting against adopting the law that only protects the arbitrary interests of those in power, and call on the...More
International student debate on climate change
"Climate change can only be tackled with global cooperation, and Europe must lead the way and set a good example". This was one of the keynotes at the third and final event of the debate series organised by the Clean Air Action Group. At the discussion entitled "We are the future, we want to take part", students and teachers from the British International School Budapest (BISB) from many different countries talked about the most pressing...More
Report on Attitudes to Climate Change
‘Hungarian society is worried about the effects of climate change, the majority is aware of the necessary individual and social measures, yet action is delayed’ – perhaps this is how the most important lesson of the national report prepared by the Clean Air Action Group could be summarized.More
EU fiscal reform must also serve the climate
The fiscal room for manoeuvre of Member States could be fundamentally shaped by new EU rules, the main principles of which were adopted by the Council of Economic and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) on 14 March. A broad coalition of civil society organisations is calling for the new rules to require climate proofing and to impose strict anti-corruption conditions.More
Clean Air Action Group proposed significant transport changes to the Municipality of Budapest
In 2022, the Municipality of Budapest provided an opportunity for Budapest-based NGOs to submit proposals for the 2023 work plan of the Municipal Assembly. Clean Air Action Group (CAAG) has put forward a number of proposals that could be implemented in a short time and at relatively low cost, and would make Budapest a much more liveable place.More
EU money might now be used in a good way
The European Commission appears to have taken the right step, as it has reportedly proposed to the Hungarian government that a significant part of the Recovery and Resilience Fund should be used to pay teachers” salaries and instead cut back on tourism development funding, among other things.More