Montenegro is feeling the effects of climate changes a lot more than it is contributing to it, because it produces only 0.009 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Still, Montenegro has pledged to reduce emissions of GHG gases by 30% by 2030 and it needs to implement all policies in the field of climate change as it belongs to the region most at risk. This was stated in the discussion “Climate change, activities, challenges and solutions in Montenegro”, held in the EU Info Centre.
The EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Aivo Orav, said that low emissions and climate-resilient growth is possible for countries of all income levels.
“Montenegro, as an EU candidate country, has the opportunity to build lasting economic growth, while at the same time reducing the risks of climate change. That is why it is essential to take climate fully into account in Montenegro’s planning, budgeting and implementing processes,” said Orav.
He pointed out the importance of the Talanoa Dialogue taking place throughout 2018, which is the first opportunity since Paris to look at our collective efforts to limit global warming.
The representative of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Climate Action, Ivana Mijatovic, said that European Commission is working with candidate countries to help jointly reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
“We need political targets and plans to be translated into concrete actionable policies and measures that involve all sectors of the economy,” said Mijatovic.
She said that working on a draft climate law in order to put these policies in place is a good example.
Mijatovic reminded that Paris Agreement provides us with a framework for the global reduction of emissions, but also offers us a unique opportunity to transform economies, to grow businesses and create new jobs.
The State Secretary at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Sasa Radulovic, said that Montenegro is undertaking strong efforts to ensure the complementary fulfilment of obligations arising from the conventions and protocols it has signed, as well as the negotiation process.
“The plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is given in the National Strategy to 2030. It is an ambitious task to reduce emissions of these gases by 30% compared to 1990, which is the starting point,” said Radulovic.
Radulovic added that we can all contribute to preventing climate change, whether by changing our habits in terms of transport, the way we build houses or simply planting a tree.
“This generation has a chance to repair the planet, I think the next generation, if we continue this way, will not be able to,” Radulovic concluded.
