Opinions & Interviews

“Belarus has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development and principles of the green economy, which implies an environmentally sustainable balanced growth,” Dmitry Krutoy noted.

According to him, support for the basic principles of the green economy is enshrined in all the key fundamental documents for the medium and long term, including the national strategy for sustainable social and economic development of Belarus for the period till 2030. Last year, the document was revised and the green economy principles were strengthened.

The Greening Economies in the European Union's Eastern Neighborhood program (EaP GREEN) assists EaP countries in progressing faster towards a green economy framework. Decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation should result in higher productivity and competitiveness, better natural capital management, enhanced environmental quality of life, and more resilient economies.

One of the areas of work is the analysis of the existing mechanisms of subsidies in energy and housing. Dmitry Krutoy noted that for energy security reasons, the energy efficiency and renewable energy are becoming increasingly important issues on the economic agenda. Belarus has already implemented the so-called clean energy projects based on renewable energy. In recent years the country has significantly improved the legislation on renewable energy, which makes the work of investors in this field transparent and competitive, Dmitry Krutoy explained.

A draft report which provides an overview of the energy sector and the non-state policy in this sector in Belarus is considered during the consultations in Minsk today. This document has been prepared under the supervision of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in accordance with the Greening Economies in the European Union's Eastern Neighborhood program (EaP GREEN), with the support of the EU. The project partners are the UN Economic Commission for Europe, UNEP and UNIDO.