Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 30 November (BelTA) - Green economy brings tangible benefits for the development of small towns, and the example of Belarus shows this, Head of the EU Delegation to Belarus Andrea Wiktorin said at the final conference dedicated to the project “Supporting the Transition to a Green Economy in the Republic of Belarus”, BelTA has learned.

“With this project, we wanted to show that the green economy is not just a buzz phrase. Together we carried out 23 interesting initiatives. When selecting them, we wanted them to yield a combined economic and environmental effect. They proved that the green economy brings benefits to small towns and accelerate their development. Initiatives in the field of energy efficiency were most illustrative in this regard. I am glad that Belarus recognized the benefits of green economy and is actively moving in this direction,” Andrea Wiktorin said.

On 30 November Minsk summed up the results of the project “Supporting the Transition to a Green Economy in the Republic of Belarus”, funded by the EU (€5 million) and implemented by the UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus. From 2015 to 2017 some 23 pilot projects and initiatives were implemented across the country, including in partnership with government bodies, the business community, farmers. The areas of application were many: water resources, phyto production, eco-tourism, biodiversity, organic farming. Some 50 new green jobs were created and 270 people received additional employment opportunities.

The seven pilot projects in Belarus include the first production of high-quality office paper from recycled paper; a nursery for breeding black grouse in the Naliboki reserve; a facility to process wood waste into biofuel and others. Pilot initiatives vary from advanced experience in construction and assembling of local treatment plants to a production and training center on phytotherapy.

The project helped expand knowledge about the principles and ideas of green economy, develop effective mechanisms of partnership for public organizations, local administrations and business organizations in the implementation of economically sound green initiatives.