On June 10th “Vėjo projektai” together with other five European companies from leading sectors have joined the Green Consumption Pledge, the first initiative of the European Commission, delivered under the New Consumer Agenda. The Green Consumption Pledge is part of the European Climate Pact, which is an EU-wide initiative inviting people, communities, and organizations to participate in climate action and build a greener Europe.
“Vėjo projektai”, which develops and manufactures fully electric city buses “Dancer”, is the only Lithuanian company that has joined the Green Consumption Pledge and clearly declares its commitment to climate neutrality not only in product production but also by encouraging public transport operators to ensure the transition to green vehicles and new, greener management models.
According to Alvydas Naujėkas, General Manager of “Vėjo projektai”, the development and production of the electric Dancer bus is focused on the main mission – to cancel conventional public transport, which is currently mostly powered by polluting fossil fuels, to make cities greener and healthier.
“We commit to measure and reduce the environmental impact throughout the production and lifetime of the “Dancer bus”, while striving to deliver innovative, low-cost solutions to public transport operators in Europe that will enable the implementation of new climate-neutral transport principles. In addition, we will promote the ideas of sustainable living and consumption among consumers and develop an understanding of solutions that could help reduce our impact on the climate,” says A. Naujėkas.
Together with “Dancer” bus manufacturers “Vėjo projektai” the companies “Ceconomy/MediaMarktSaturn”, “Engie”, “Erste”, “H&M Group” and “Philips” have joined the initiative, thus committing to accelerate their contribution to a green transition.
Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said: “I welcome the commitments made by those six companies for concrete actions towards greater sustainable production and consumption, beyond what is required by EU law. This determination to step up climate action shows the kind of effort European consumers want to see and it will help to set the policy for all European companies to promote green consumption. By now eleven companies are already participating in the Green Pledge and I am looking forward to even more in the future!”
The pilot phase of the Green Consumption Pledge will be completed by January 2022, including an evaluation of the functioning of the Pledge. European Commissioner Didier Reynders has welcomed the six new companies in an event in which representatives of the EP Internal Market Committee, the EU consumers’ organisations BEUC, Euro consumers and EU business organisations AIM and SMEunited had participated.