Dr. Marina Stefanova, lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Head of the master's program “Responsible and Sustainable Governance” and Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of CSR Specialists, commented the carbon neutrality in the program on Bloomberg TV Bulgaria on May 12.

Asked what the role of local governments in the transition of cities is to carbon neutrality, Dr. Stefanova commented: “They are leaders in this field, because after so much data with which we have clear evidence that most, more 70% of the world's population will live in cities by 2050, if we want to create a carbon-neutral society, that's where cities are. Solving local problems is the responsibility of local authorities, but they cannot achieve their climate goals if businesses are not involved, and citizens do not cooperate”.

According to Dr. Stefanova, carbon literacy is extremely important because “today we live in a time when climate change is a clear indication that nothing is the same as before”. According to her, people need to put more effort into the way they live and change some of their habits. She explained that carbon literacy has its origins in the way we choose to run our homes – how much electricity we use, how much rubbish we make, what kind of transport we use. “Transportation in the city is especially important because cars emit a lot of carbon”, she said.

“It is good to think about each product if we need it and if so, what is its impact on the environment”, said Dr. Stefanova. She pointed out that resource depletion, droughts, starvation, and diseases caused by frequent travel to exotic areas are discussed each year in a detailed UN report on environmental protection. This expertise should help us to make informed choices and think about how much to consume - food, transport, holidays, shopping, especially in cities.

You can hear the whole comment of Dr. Marina Stefanova here.