Bregu: Circular economy strategies reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thousands of jobs are created

2024-02-09 08:03:00, Aktualitet CNA

Bregu: Circular economy strategies reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thousands of

Majlinda Bregu

RCC launches the Western Balkan Stakeholder Platform for Green and Circular Economy, as part of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.

The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) launched the Western Balkan Stakeholder Platform for the Green and Circular Economy, consisting of government, business, donor and CSO representatives, at a high-level meeting being held today in Pristina.

"Despite becoming a climate change hotspot, our region can often instinctively use a myopic lens. This still doesn't really capture the urgency and pervasiveness of climate change, nor, for example, the alarmingly low rates of recycling and high waste generated locally Our Balkan Barometer says only 30% of business owners see climate change as a problem for their businesses, while 43% believe the green transition will have no impact in their business and 37% who have not taken any steps to reduce the environmental impact of their businesses. Unfortunately, more than a third of businesses do not undertake any circular economy activities/initiatives," said in opening of the meeting, the General Secretary of the RCC, Majlinda Bregu.

The reasons for this, as cited by Western Balkan businesses, are: additional costs (49%); lack of skills and expertise (30%), lack of a regulatory framework (28%) and lack of government subsidies (29%).

"Most businesses find it cheaper to produce a new product than a recycled one. These percentages will not lead us down the path of linear models of resource use and seem to be in stark contrast to the encouraging percentages that I am sure that have brought us all together today: circular economy strategies could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 40%; create 700,000 new jobs in the EU alone by 2030, or unlock economic opportunities worth $4.5 trillion Therefore, we need more attitudes oriented towards concrete actions and opportunities among all the main actors in the region", concluded Bregu.

Alongside the General Secretary of the RCC, the opening speech was delivered by Valentina Superti, Director for the Western Balkans, in the General Directorate for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and Lulzim Rafuna, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Investment Forum of the 6 Chambers of the Western Balkans (WB6CIF). . The high-level ministerial panel that brought together Western Balkan ministers and representatives of ministries responsible for environmental issues and the representative of Germany, as the initiator and main actor of the Berlin Process, discussed the advancement of the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. Later in the day, three more panels will address the topics of investment potential, the transition of the Western Balkans towards a circular economy and the next steps.

The purpose of the Platform, which will operate within the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (GAWB), is to renew the high-level commitments made within the GAWB, foster a regional learning and knowledge exchange center on Circulating Economy and harmonize the ways of financing and green investments.

The meeting, organized by RCC, with the support of WB6CIF and the EU4GREEN Project, gathered representatives from the Western Balkans, about 20 donors and international financial institutions, 66 international organizations, companies and more than 50 representatives of Civil Society Organizations./ CNA