Strengthening regional cooperation is a prerequisite for fully exploiting the potential of the circular economy in the Western Balkans, because only joint efforts and initiatives can encourage the transition to a resilient and sustainable region, the Chamber of Commerce (PKCG) assessed.
PKCG announced that the secretary of the Coordination Committee for Energy Efficiency and Environmental Protection of PKCG, Milena Rmuš, participated in the panel entitled Three years of the Green Agenda in the Western Balkans, which was organized as part of the Circular Economy Summit of the Western Balkans in Belgrade.
The summit, organized by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, gathered key players from the region to review the results of the three-year implementation of the Green Agenda in the countries of the Western Balkans.
Rmuš presented the activities of PKCG when it comes to the green and circular economy, reminding that last year the Chamber launched the Road Map to the Circular Economy of Montenegro, on the basis of which the National Strategy of Circular Transition of Montenegro until 2030 was drawn up.
She stated that five priority areas have been identified that have the greatest potential for circular transition, particularly emphasizing the importance of industrial symbiosis.
According to Rmuš, the circular transition requires the synergistic action of all actors in society, bearing in mind that it is a multi-layered process, the focus of which is systemic thinking.
"Taking into account that Montenegro is at the beginning of its circular journey, it is necessary to educate the private and public sector about the advantages of switching to circular business models, but also to closely cooperate with national authorities in order to create an adequate regulatory framework to encourage circular practices", it is stated. in the announcement.
Also, sustainable financing will play a significant role in the further transition and greater competitiveness of transportation, so in this sense it is necessary to provide sufficient financial resources for the green transition, as a process that includes economic, energy and investment transition with a special focus on the application of innovations and digital tools.
At the end of the panel, it was concluded that on the way to the green transition, the region must focus on decarbonization and energy efficiency, modernization of the waste management sector and resource efficiency, as well as the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices.
"The main message of the summit is that in order to transform the economies of the region into green, sustainable and circular economies, it is important that the Western Balkans' policies mutually coordinate the operations of their economies so that the region can access the single European market as soon as possible," PKCG concluded.
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