The Montenegrin Pan-European Union organized the international conference “Improving climate resilience: connecting the European Green Deal and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans through the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their indicators” on May 19. in the CUE hotel in Podgorica.
The conference was organized with the support of the Central European Initiative (CEI), and was also supported by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Embassy of France in Montenegro.
Among others, the president of the Montenegrin Pan-European Union, Prof. Ph.D. Gordana Đurović, Ranko Lazović from the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, Head of the Office for Sustainable Development at the General Secretariat of the Government of Montenegro Aneta Kankaraš, Ambassador of Germany in Montenegro Peter Felten, Ambassador of France in Montenegro Christian Timonije.
It was announced from the conference that Montenegro will continue to make efforts to remain ambitious in the fight against the negative effects of climate change, in order to ensure prosperity for current and future generations.
The President of the Montenegrin Pan-European Union, Gordana Đurović, assessed that climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme climate and weather events that affect all countries in the world. For this reason, according to her, building climate resilience by integrating strategies and action on climate change is of utmost importance.
Ranko Lazović from the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism said that the regions of the Mediterranean and Southeast Europe, to which Montenegro belongs, are among the most sensitive and extremely affected by climate change. As Lazović announced, the activities of the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism in the area of climate change are focused on drafting the new Law on Protection from the Negative Impact of Climate Change, which will be adopted by the end of this year. According to him, the main motive for passing the new law is the improvement of the legislative framework for protection against the negative impacts of climate change and further alignment with the EU legal acquis in this area, as well as fulfilling the obligations defined in the Roadmap for decarbonization of the Energy Community.
Aneta Kankaraš said that people, aware of environmental changes and climate changes due to negative human activities, must adapt to these changes or mitigate them. As Kankaraš added, Montenegro, as a developing country, will continue to make maximum efforts to contribute to the achievement of global goals.
German Ambassador to Montenegro Peter Felten said that climate change has become an existential threat to the planet and humanity. He stated that due to the scale and complexity of the factors affecting climate change, worldwide cooperation and a comprehensive, cross-sector approach are needed to solve the problem. He stated that, for EU members, the European Green Deal represents an immediate and comprehensive reference document that will lead to, among other things, Europe becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050, but also reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change, improve transport systems and protect biodiversity and soil.
The Ambassador of France in Montenegro, Christian Thimonier, speaking about the United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP28, which will be organized in November in Dubai, said that the parties will have to undertake obligations that are aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Timonije drew attention to the significant involvement of the French Development Agency in encouraging sustainable development and strengthening resistance to climate change in the Western Balkans, especially in Montenegro.
A detailed report and photo gallery are available at the following links:
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