LTD “ZAAO” (ZAAO) Environmental Competence and Education Centre has launched a new non-formal adult education program “Environmental Management in Local Government”, aimed at improving the knowledge and practical skills of municipal employees in the fields of sustainability, waste management, and the circular economy.
Seventy-one employees of Valmiera Municipality have participated in the four sessions held so far. Among the participants were specialists in culture, tourism, environment, and sports, institution managers, and other professionals whose daily work involves event organization, territory management, and public information. During the sessions, participants learned about ZAAO services for municipalities, went on a virtual exploration tour of the Circular Economy Centre “Daibe”, and acquired the basics of waste sorting and circular economy principles.
One of the key benefits of the program is the direct communication between ZAAO and municipalities, which helps avoid misunderstandings, inaccurate information, or situations where an idea is implemented incorrectly simply due to a lack of information.
ZAAO Regional Waste Management Centre Manager Vīgants Mārtiņš emphasizes: “We highly value such meetings. Often, one conversation is enough to avoid misunderstandings and ensure work is done correctly right away. These sessions offer the opportunity to ask questions, clarify uncertainties, and find solutions together. This allows us to work faster, more accurately, and build much more successful cooperation with municipalities.”
The aim of the program is not only to provide practical knowledge but also to develop a shared environmental understanding on a regional scale. The sessions particularly highlight the need to cooperate, share experiences, and build a unified approach to environmental management.
Līga Bieziņa, Development Planner at Valmiera Municipality Development Department, highlights: “This was excellent cooperation between the municipality and ZAAO, jointly creating a training program tailored to the needs of the municipality. It emphasized the necessity for all municipal institutions in the region to move towards unified actions to improve the municipality’s environmental management, starting with the initiatives developed in the BALTIPLAST project to reduce the circulation of single-use plastics in municipal operations and public event organization. ZAAO’s knowledge and capabilities made it possible to provide municipal employees with the necessary up-to-date information on waste management issues, as well as to reinforce how important the transition to circular management is. This was a significant introduction and knowledge base on which to further improve municipal practices in reducing environmental impact.”
ZAAO will continue to develop adult education programs, strengthening cooperation with both municipalities and companies, creating new learning opportunities that will help the Vidzeme region become more environmentally friendly, knowledgeable, and sustainable.
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