Volunteering: local solutions to global challenges
Volunteering plays a major role in the efforts of the DG Environment to 'protect, preserve and
improve the environment for present and future generations'. At a time when climate change has
become a major issue for our society, conservation volunteering is crucial in tackling its challenges. In
addition, in line with the priorities of the DG Environment, volunteers contribute worldwide to
protecting nature and biodiversity, to preserve the environment and natural resources. Conservation
volunteering is also an invaluable source of health and well-being.
To the point
Volunteers are numerous
- More than 100 million Europeans engage in voluntary activities, live solidarity and through this
make a difference to our society. Three in ten Europeans claim to be active in a voluntary activity
and nearly 80% of respondents feel that voluntary activities are an important part of the
democratic life in Europe.1
- In the UK, the environmental charity British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) works
with over 300 000 volunteers each year.2
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) campaign 'Volunteering for our planet' counted that
people around the world have done 1 505 606 hours of environmental volunteering between 5
June and 15 December 2009.3
- In Slovakia, volunteering activities in the field of environment represent 13,3% of the total
share.4
Volunteers trigger action
- Volunteers and volunteering organisations play a key role in promoting actions to help achieve
sustainable development and to encourage citizens and communities to 'take ownership of their
local environment'.5
- Environmental volunteering increases awareness of environmental issues and the likelihood of
carrying out environmentally friendly practices.6
- Volunteers are involved in different ways in environmental volunteering:7 activism or ecological
restoration, proactive actions to improve the environment, monitoring and educational activities.
- Volunteers are the main actors of civil protection as shown by DG ENV funded projects in the
framework of the Civil Protection Action Programme.8 In Italy, The public civil protection system
established after the big floods of Florence back in 1966 allows now to mobilise quickly
thousands of volunteers in the event of catastrophes (currently over 1,3 million volunteers can
be deployed within minutes – and they are protected during their work by state law).9
Volunteering delivers health benefits
Foremost, environmental volunteering serves the planet and the community sports picks. Beyond, it also proves
to be beneficial for people who volunteer: it increases satisfaction from acting for the planet and
thus contributing to the improvement of the future; it allows volunteers to socialise with others; it
increases their well-being, physical and mental health; and it promotes personal development in
terms of learning new skills and gaining self-esteem.
Our recommendations
Reference to volunteering in selected policy documents
1999 | Council decision establishing the Community Civil Protection Action Programme,
(1999/847/EC OJ L327/53), adopted in 1999 and ending in 2006 (2005/12/EC OJ L6/7)
The Community action programme in the field of civil protection was intended to support and supplement
Member States' efforts at national, regional and local levels by implementing actions for the protection of
persons, property and environment in the event of natural and technological disasters. It also intends to
implement actions that facilitate cooperation, exchange of experience and mutual assistance between Member
States.
The Programme also supported volunteering.
Example of projects supported:
Involving citizens in civil protection, British Red Cross Society, project aimed in raising awareness among
European citizens to participate in civil protection volunteer organisations and to promote volunteer work.
The promotion of volunteer work in civil protection in the EU member states and EEA countries on the basis of
the recommendation of common standards, Technisches Hilfswerk; The main objective of the two-year project
was the promotion of volunteer work in civil protection in the EU member states and the three EEA countries
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
- Mainstream volunteering as a tool for environmental action and civil protection: When
developing policies in your DG these policies shall be assessed as to the positive (or negative)
impact they have on citizens' ability and motivation to become active and get involved.
- Actively contribute to the planning and the success of the European Year of Voluntary
Activities Promoting Active Citizenship 2011 by college football picks showcasing the contribution of volunteers to
environment protection.
- Devise a new Programme for Volunteering in Environmental Action: 7 in 10 Europeans do not
volunteer whereas 80% do consider volunteering important for their lives and for society. This
huge potential needs to be capitalized on, notable as volunteers have undoubtedly a major
added value to the actions of your DG and deserve targeted action. The good example of the
1999 Civil Protection Action Programme should be used to develop a new agenda for the
promotion of active citizens' engagement in preserving nature, ensuring biodiversity and
addressing climate change.
- Establish relationships with the European networks of Volunteering such as the European
Volunteer Centre (CEV) in order to develop a comprehensive policy agenda on how to better
harness volunteers to contribute to the delivery of your policies and programmes.
1 Special Eurobarometer 273 Wave 66.3, 2007. 'European Social Reality', February 2007.
2 BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers), 2009. 'Volunteer'. Available at:
http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/volunteer [cited 7.12.2009].
3 United Nations, 2009. United Nations campaign Seal the Deal. Available at: http://sealthedeal2009.org/unv [cited
15.12.2009].
4 CSVnet – National Coordination Body of Voluntary Support Centres, 2009. 'Brief compendium of the research:
Volunteering across Europe. Organisations, promotion, participation', p. 17.
5 BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers), 2009. 'Investing in sustainable futures. BTCV Strategic Plan 2009-
2013', p. 9.
6 Hine, Rachel, Jo Peacock and Jules Pretty, 2008. 'Evaluating the impact of environmental volunteering on behaviours
and attitudes to the environment', University of Essex, Report for BTCV Cymry.
7 Measham, Thomas G. and Guy B. Barnett, 2007. 'Environmental volunteering: motivations, modes and outcomes',
CSIRO Working Paper Series, 2007–2003.
8 'Volunteers in Civil Protection'. Available at: http://www.eu-volunteers.net/ [cited 23.12.2009].
9 Information provided by the National Volunteer Support Centre CSVnet (http://www.csvnet.it/).
10 Hine, Rachel, Jo Peacock and Jules Pretty, 2008. 'Evaluating the impact of environmental volunteering on behaviours
and attitudes to the environment', University of Essex, Report for BTCV Cymry.
