President János Áder said climate change and water crises are not partisan issues, and plastic pollution is threatening people regardless of their political convictions.
During his Blue Planet (Kék bolygó) podcast on Monday, the president answered questions regarding the Planet Budapest 2021 sustainability expo, which ended on Sunday. President Áder said the expo had presented solutions offered by 183 exhibitors in the agriculture, food safety, water management, waste management, energy effectivity, transport and smart cities sectors. The expo showcased solutions developed in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, and especially targeted young people with interactive programs, he said.
President Áder warned that overconsumption in households, the industry and services sectors threatened with the current quality of life will become impossible in 50 years. Regarding the return of the investment in the expo, he noted that the three Budapest Water Summits organized previously had received a total of HUF 1.5 billion (EUR 4.1m) in state funding and brought a “threefold return on the investment according to conservative estimates” by improving the position of Hungarian companies on the market, creating new jobs and promoting climate friendly solutions. President Áder said he “hoped” that within a few years, the monies invested in the expo would flow back into state coffers from the exhibitors who showcased their solutions and found new business opportunities at the fair.
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