Ljubljana, 29 April, 2020 – Addressing the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global challenge of climate change requires the development of an economic recovery plan.
Various green economic recovery and green initiatives promoting the Green Deal have been prepared throughout Europe, including Slovenia. Andrej Vizjak, MSc, Slovenian Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, has expressed his support for the open letter written by the EU’s Ministers for the Environment for a post Covid-19 crisis green recovery. Ana Struna Bregar, Director of CER in Slovenia, has proposed we abide with the largest international "GreenRecovery” post Covid-19 crisis initiative, as presented to the European Parliament. In the broader context of the Green Deal, that is the action plan for the circular economy and green recovery, the role of Ladeja Godina Košir, Director of Circular Change, presiding at the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) in Brussels, is globally important for Slovenia.
This combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches is an exceptional opportunity for Slovenia to recover its position in terms of a green, circular, sustainable economy and, consequently, the better development of a sustainable society, which is a great message for when we assume the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2021, where the circular economy is a key priority.
CER prepared an initiative based on a model developed by related international organisations for Slovenia’s green economic recovery and called various stakeholders to join an alliance and actively co-create a green recovery programme.
Extensive investment anticipated in the Green Deal must be preserved to better facilitate the development of a new, more flexible, resilient and sovereign national economic model, which will support the transition from existent non-sustainable economic activity patterns that will create jobs with added value. The economic model must be based on green and circular principles, and digitalisation, promoting sustainable economic activities to create jobs and added value. Financial flows must be focused on green investment and opportunities to no longer support high-carbon investments. Such green plans for economic recovery can be established domestically, but international collaboration will substantially enhance plans’ effects. Addressing the Covid-19 simultaneously with climate and environmental issues provides us with a great opportunity.
This call for a national alliance is a foundation for a systemic establishment of concrete measures suggestions by various stakeholders for #GreenRecovery, which will lead toward a sustainable, competitive and resilient economy.
The aim of this call is to raise awareness that:
- the third package of measures is focused on green economic recovery;
- this national alliance is focused on a green, smart and technologically advanced Slovenia;
- the national alliance expressly supports the EU’s Green Deal;
- that a systemic approach is to be established for Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as a strong and clear agenda for a green economy;
- by 2023, Slovenia will have prepared a comprehensive national strategy for the development of a climate neutral society by 2050 and actively engage in the implementation of European and international initiatives and programmes for climate change mitigation and adjustment.
Having many tools and technologies, we do not need to create an economic model from scratch. Important progress was made in numerous sectors in the fields of new technology, value chain development, energy consumption reduction, renewable energy source use and enhanced energy efficiency in the previous decade.
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