The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC), today issued a joint call to companies, civil society organizations, local governments and public utilities in Serbia to respond to the public call for innovation in the field of circular economy.
On the occasion of this public call, which is open until February 1, 2021, the Director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization of the SCC, Mihajlo Vesovic, and the UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia, Francine Pickup, signed a Letter of Intent activities to support the transition of companies from Serbia from a linear to a circular business model.
The goal is to encourage and accelerate the development of solutions and business models that can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change, as well as improving the competitiveness of Serbian companies, primarily in the European market, the PKS said.
As it was specified, the invitation was sent to everyone who has ideas on how to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases at the local level by applying the principles of the circular economy.
“The transition from a linear to a circular economy is important, because it contributes to the protection of the environment, helps in the fight against climate change and helps the competitiveness of Serbian companies,” Pickup said.
She pointed out that due to the increasing pollution, many countries have started working on projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in order to implement the so-called 2050 or 2060 decarbonisation, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pointed out that the global movement for CO2 neutrality must be strengthened.
“Carbon neutrality means that the amount of CO2 emitted must be compensated by reducing the emission of the same amount of CO2 elsewhere. In order to achieve that, innovative technological solutions are needed, as well as a change in the production and consumption model,” Pickup explained.
She added that such technical solutions already exist and that there are examples of companies that use them in the world and in Serbia.
As an example, she mentioned the French Renault, which uses renewed, not new, parts in production, which consumes 80 percent less energy, 88 percent less water, 90 percent less chemical products and produces 70 percent less waste.
In Serbia, as she pointed out, there are companies with a neutral carbon footprint.
One of them is Sanicula, which is engaged in the production of essential oils and essential and medicinal plants, which after distillation, uses plant waste to produce biopellets, which is then used to obtain the energy needed in production, to use the remaining ash as organic fertilizer for further production of plants, Pickup specified.
“We want to help even more companies follow these examples,” she said.
The project will contribute, as she emphasized, to a more sustainable, greener and more competitive Serbian economy, in accordance with the new package of EU regulations.
“The benefits of these solutions will be multiple. Environmental pollution will be reduced, there will be less waste, resources will be saved, innovations will be encouraged, and the development of new technologies will be enabled,” said the UNDP representative.
According to her, that will enable the Serbian economy to use the possibility of financing offered within the EU Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, and she also called on international financial institutions and development banks to join the project.
Mihailo Vesovic, Director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization of PKS, said that PKS wants the circular economy to be one of the main topics whenever the strategic directions of development of Serbian society and economy are discussed.
He said that the transition from a linear to a circular economy can cost initially, but that the benefits are great, especially for those dealing with technology and innovation, as well as for bringing the country closer to the EU.
“The key issue for Serbia’s entry into the EU will not be how much it has economically or legally adjusted to the norms, but how much we have achieved some of the goals of the circular economy,” Vesovic said, adding that everyone in state bodies, as well as citizens, should be aware of that.
It was also pointed out that circular business models represent a chance for the recovery of the business sector, especially small and medium enterprises, which were mostly affected by the negative impact of the corona virus pandemic.
More details about the public call for innovations in the field of circular economy can be seen on the website https://inovacije.klimatskepromene.rs/cirkularna-ekonomija/, Beta reports.
