which commemorates the victims of air pollution, was funded by Bogumił Budzik and the Opus B Advertising Agency, and was erected as part of the “Air for Krakow” campaign organised and funded by them.
Learn about the history of fighting for air quality in Krakow!
In 2016, the issue of air quality in Krakow was on everyone's lips. Decades of negligence on the part of the city authorities led to a situation where, in autumn and winter, the air in Krakow was literally thick because of smog. The smog was visible to the naked eye, one could smell it with every breath and it proved fatal to almost 1,500 residents of the city yearly.
The Krakow population could no longer tolerate the idleness of the city authorities. Activists and their organisations, including “Air for Krakow” - a campaign developed and funded by Bogumił Budzik in collaboration with the Opus B Advertising Agency, jumped into action.
The Fifth Commandment says: “You shall not kill.” And smog kills. That summer the whole world was looking at Krakow where the World Youth Day was to take place. Upon the initiative of the “Air for Krakow” campaign, an unprecedented advertisement was published in the Italian daily newspaper *La Repubblica* which was read by Pope Francis every day. The advertisement said: An appeal to Pope Francis to draw his attention to the deadly smog present in the city to which he travels on pilgrimages.
Apart from the publication of the appeal, there was also large-format advertising on display with the same message. It was positioned along the route taken by Pope Francis as he travelled through Krakow.
Thanks to the “Air for Krakow” initiative, an independent survey was carried out. The results of the survey were clear: for 94% of the population of Krakow smog was the most pressing problem to be solved. This number became a symbol of another stage in the anti-smog campaign, in which prominent residents of Krakow, iconic and influential figures expressed their views. Words of thank-you and eternal gratitude are owed to them. The city authorities could not turn a deaf ear to their strong voice.
ZBIGNIEW WODECKI
JERZY STUHR
ANDRZEJ SIKOROWSKI
GRZEGORZ TURNAU
ROBERT MAKŁOWICZ
KRZYSZTOF GLOBISZ
Media about us:
Deadly smog hit Krakow once again which confirmed the ineffectiveness of the token measures taken earlier by the authorities of the city and the province. The fun and games were over and this was the reason why the actions taken as part of the “Air for Krakow” campaign took the form of strong, unambiguous appeals and warnings.
Civic involvement, including the involvement of many people participating in the “Air for Krakow” campaign, finally yielded the desired result. In April 2017, the Małopolska Province Assembly enacted the groundbreaking provisions of the long-awaited anti-smog act.
That day marked the beginning of a total ban on the use of coal and wood in heating systems in Krakow.
Since then, the levels of smog in the city have significantly dropped. The average concentration of PM2.5 fell from around 41 micrograms per cubic metre in 2012 to 19 micrograms in 2023. PM10 levels decreased by around 50 to 60 per cent in various parts of the city, and the number of days with exceeded limits for this indicator dropped from 132 to 31.
Thanks to the efforts of committed residents, Krakow can finally breathe a sigh of relief!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Bogumił Budzik and the Opus B Advertising Agency would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have gratuitously contributed to the “Air for Krakow” campaign:
Michał Kuczkowski, Agnieszka Urbanik, Katarzyna Wodecka-Stubbs, Kuba Janicki, Piotr Olszewski, Mariusz Łucyk, Bartłomiej Gostkowski, Carolina Pietyra, Matylda Czesak, Tomasz Kosiński, Joanna Kozłowska-Miroch, Edyta Półtorak-Budzik, Monika Kamińska-Młyniec, Klaudia Cieślak, Kaja Męclewska, Sebastian Ślęczka, Leszek Leńczuk.