Campaign coordinators representing middle, high school and university youth have delivered a petition to the President of Ukraine calling for energy efficient Passive House Standard for school buildings. The 21,627 signatures were handed to the members of the Administration of the President of Ukraine on Wednesday, July 31. The petition was a part of a “Schools Save the World” campaign, an all-Ukrainian youth initiative by Global Synergy to protect students right on safe learning environment and to increase youth activity in rights protection. "Youth does want to study in energy efficient school, schools that provide safe and healthy environment. It is not the question of comfort we are standing here today. It is a question of mere adequate learning conditions in school buildings, where students spend major part of a school day," Orest Firsov, coordinator of the campaign, said at the handover. The link between student heath and school building is obvious. While around 60% of Ukrainian schools are in need to be renovated and do not provide sufficient level of safety and comfort, student and teachers still spent there a considerable amount of time. No wonder, as Lydia Drozdova, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Social Policy pointed out, that only 7% of Ukrainian students are healthy. Obviously, question of energy efficiency and safe environment in school buildings is critical. With this in mind, Ukrainian students were not happy to see their right violated, and thus a petition was started. Considering foreign best practices in this area, economic and environmental aspects, students worked closely with experts and decided, that Passive House Standard, an energy efficiency standard that is used in many European countries, should be a “must” for schools in Ukraine. With the help of the petition, students plan to urge the President to promote the implementation of the Passive House Standard for Ukrainian schools, which will update old regulations in this field. And now 21,627 teachers, students and their parents are waiting for the response from the President. Full of hopes for better future, they are sure that their voices will be heard. Author: Global Synergy Foundation, www.globalsynergyfoundation.org
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