EPSD History

History 

After the political changes in 1989, the Environmental Partnership was originally conceived and established in 1991 by a group of US based private foundations led by the German Marshall Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as a three year grant program to respond to environmental problems and to promote development of civil societies in Central Europe. National program offices of the Environmental Partnership for Central Europe (EPCE), the precursor of the current Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development (EPSD) were established in Czechoslovakia in 1991 and Poland and Hungary in 1992 (a fourth office was added when Slovakia became independent). These first offices were charged with identifying particular needs and goals, while the Western partners provided them with technical and financial support. In the early days the German Marshal Fund served as the project coordinator, opening an EPCE office in Washington.

In the early years, emphasis was placed on the development of local capacity and leadership. Local offices became increasingly skilled not only in building their own capacity, but also the capacity of their grantors who were primary small, grassroots NGOs many of whom would later become local environmental leaders thanks in part to EPCE financial and technical support.

In 1997, each EPCE country office became an independent and self-governing foundation responsible for its own grant making and fundraising under the supervision of boards of directors. Several successful cross-border and regional programs were initiated at this time including rural livelihoods, energy programs and the Amber Trail Greenways running from Budapest to Krakow and the Prague – Vienna Greenway.

In 1988, the successful experience gained in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic was applied in the establishment the Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, which has quickly become a leader in the environmental NGO community in that country. In 2004, the Bulgarian Environmental Partnership office was opened and in the same year the regional association was formally established under Czech law as the Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Since its founding, the Environmental Partnership has developed from a group of country offices into a Consortium of independent and self-sustaining national foundations that have become a major source of support for community-based environmental action and development of civil society in the region.

EPSD Milestones

1991-1992

National program offices established in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland by a partnership of donors (a separate Slovak office was established following the separation of the Czech and Slovak republics). First small grants distributed to grassroots environmental organizations.

1991-1995

River-basin management fellowships for Central and Eastern Europeans to the United States

1992

Land stewardship program established in cooperation with the QLF Atlantic Center for the Environment. This longest running program of the Environmental Partnership foundations has played a key role in developing new tools for preserving landscapes and fostering sustainable development of rural areas.

1994-1997

National program offices transformed into independent, national foundations.

1995

A joint logo was created an implemented, based on international graphic design competition (designer Svata Zampa).

1995

First operational program launched ? Program for Public Spaces in the Czech office, inspired and supported by PPS New York and by RBF and TMU.

1995-1997

First regional program ?Right to Know? launched.

1997

First heavy floods hit the region after many decades (July). EPCE reacts as consortium, as well as individual foundations. Since that time flood prevention is the important topic in EPCE programs.

1997-1999

'Black Triangle' program of cross-border cooperation implemented by Czech and Polish Environmental Partnership foundations in cooperation with German Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) and the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

1997-1998

Hungarian Environmental Partnership manages the Central Environment Fund of the Hungarian government (KKA) ? USD 2,247,200.

1997-1999

First corporate donor for regional program provoked deep discussion on ethical principal within EPCE. Partnership principles developed.

1998

Czech EPCE adopts the Greenways program, later a leading regional activity of EPSD. Prague - Vienna Greenway and Moravian Wine Trails first major projects.

1999-2002

Slovak Environmental Partnership manages the ?Your Land? grant program (USD 2,7 million) in Slovakia supported by the USAID, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Open Society Foundation.

1999-2000

Feasibility study for Romanian EPCE carried out by Zszsa Foltanyi and Vera Dakova.

2000

Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation established.

2000-2004

EPCE implements regional program ?Rural Livelihoods? supported by the German Environmental Foundation.

2000-2002

Tisza region cooperation program implemented in Hungary, Romania and Serbia.

2000-2001

Energy Saving in Schools program implemented in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Honeywell Corporation and Foundation.

2001

Central European Heritage Award established.

2001

Carpathian Eco-region Initiative established with Environmental Partnership Consortium as a founding member.

2001

Central European Greenways program established.

2002

Present Membership in European Greenways Association (EGWA - European Greenways Association).

2002-2005

Slovak Environmental Partnership manages Your Land at the Door of Integration in Slovakia (USD 2 million) supported by the Trust for Civil Society and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

2002

Rural Livelihoods program established.

2001-2005

Participation in Trust for Civil Society in Central Europe.

2003-2004

Feasibility study to establish Bulgarian Environmental Partnership led by Miroslav Kundrata.

2004

Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation established.

2004

Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development registered as legal association under Czech law with six member foundations.

2004

Environmental Partnership Endowment Campaign launched in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic.

2004

Environmental devastation in Tatra Mountains, Slovakia. Czech Foundation organized successful public collection, and over 350,000 EUR were transferred to Slovak EPSD member Ekopolis to help local owners with reforestation activities.

2004-2005

1 million USD regional endowment campaign launched (matched by C.S. Mott foundation). Position of regional coordinator/fundraiser established.

2005 Heavy floods in Bulgaria, Romania and in Visegrad countries. Czech foundation again organized collection to help Bulgarian communities with recovery activities.

2005-2006

EPSD implements DG Envi grant devoted to the support of environmental NGOs working regionally.

2005-2006

Czech and Slovak foundations involved leader of the construction market SKANSKA to become a general partner and donor of the Tree of Life Program.

2006

EPSD receives a grant from the Trust for Mutual Understanding to establish transatlantic partnerships with US based environmental organizations to address global environmental issues.

2007

Regional community based flooding program launched in all six EPSD countries