The Center for Climate Change UDG is the grantee of the Smart Balkans grant – Civil society for a connected Western Balkans

The overall goal of the SMART Balkans project is to contribute to the strengthening of participatory democracies and Euro-Atlantic integration in the Western Balkans through the empowerment of CSOs for a stronger and more active role in creating peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia

The grant awarding ceremony was held in Podgorica.
With the project “Knowledge about chemicals towards a sustainable community” in the following 9 months, the Center for Climate Change UDG will contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution by chemicals through strengthening the role of CSOs in fulfilling the obligations that Montenegro has in the process of EU integration.

Roundtable “The Road to a just energy transition of the municipality of Pljevlja”

On April 26th 2023,the Round Table was held in Pljevlja “The way to a just energy transition of the Municipality of Pljevlja” as part of the project implemented by the Center for Climate Change, which was supported by the Ministry of Capital Investments.

3 sessions were held:

1st Session: Plans of the mining and energy complex in the context of a just transition
2nd Session: Support programs for employees and the economy of Pljevlja in the process of a just transition
3rd Session: The role of civil society organizations in the process of just transition

  • The Director of the Center for Climate Change, Ivana Vojinović emphasized that Montenegro is obliged to align with the climate and energy goals of the EU.
  • Director General of the Ministry of Capital Investments, Sanja Pavićević, informed about activities on the preparation of the National Energy and Climate Plan.
  • The manager of the municipality of Pljevlja, Nataša Marković, welcomed the fact that the Center organized the Round Table in Pljevlja, because it is a topic that affects the fate of the citizens of Pljevlja.
  • Dušan Janjušević, president of the Board of Directors of A.D. Pljevlja, presented the company’s plans for the modernization of the technological process, the launch of a cement industry with low gas emissions, and what should help in the transition.
  • Veselin Sekulić, assistant of the executive manager of EPCG Production, introduced to the activities on the project of ecological reconstruction of the Thermal Power Plant and heating.
  • The director of the Eco Fund, Draško Boljević, presented the Fund’s projects and emphasized the necessity for municipalities to be more active in the use of funds.
  • Aleksandar Rakočević, assistant director of the Employment Office, highlighted active policies that should reduce the gap between supply and demand on the labor market.
  • Milorad Mitrović, director of NGO Breznica, recalled his organization’s many years of commitment to guarantee the right to a healthy environment for the people of Pljevlja.
  • Aleksandar Perović, director of the NGO Ozon, introduced the multi-decade activities of his organization to strengthen activism and informed about plans to strengthen the capacity of Arhus centers.
  • Presenting the publication, co-author Milica Daković pointed out that Pljevlja will be the “epicenter” of a just transition.

Memorandum of cooperation was signed in the area of ​​”ESG principles in corporate business and decarbonization”

The Center for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Energy of the University of Donja Gorica, AvantGarde Group and E3 Consulting Montenegro today signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of ESG principles in corporate business and decarbonization.

The memorandum emphasizes the importance of introducing the concept of social responsibility in the sphere of corporate business, carbon neutrality, incorporating ESG principles into the framework of business and making investment decisions, and that their application can create unique opportunities and competitive advantages for companies that seriously understand the issue of climate change and proactively promote carbon neutrality.

The advantages of applying ESG principles are: creating new value for customers, increasing company capitalization, reducing energy costs, increasing the competitiveness of products and services, access to “green” capital and attracting “green” investments, increasing social responsibility of business and employee motivation, as well as attracting and retaining the best staff, speeding up the EU accession process.

This Memorandum is one of the indicators and proofs of the dedicated work of the Center for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Energy of the University of Donja Gorica towards the improvement, preservation and promotion of the environment and natural resources, as well as the fight against climate change in Montenegro.

Seminar about ESG principles in corporate business and decarbonization at the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro

Today, the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, Center for Climate Change, Natural Resources and Energy UDG, AvantGarde Group and E3 Consulting organized a Seminar on ESG principles in corporate business and decarbonization.

On behalf of the Center, the director, Ivana Vojinović, welcomed the attendees, who pointed out the importance of implementing ESG principles and decarbonization in Montenegro.

Other speakers and lecturers at the Seminar were:

  • Nikola Vujovic, vice president of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro
  • Milica Daković, MSc, director of E3 Consulting
  • Dr. Rastislav Vrbensky, CEO of AvantGarde Group
  • Mariana Olshanskaya
  • Aleksandra Novikova
  • Julia Massey
  • Gabor Szarvas

The topics of the seminar were:

  • Introduction to decarbonization
  • Decarbonization: Industry and tourism
  • Decarbonization of the banking sector and financing of decarbonization

At the seminar, several key points and challenges faced by Montenegro and Europe were highlighted, such as incorporating ESG standards into the business framework and making investment decisions, social and financial benefits from the implementation of ESG standards, carbon neutrality, carbon footprint, energy efficiency and the introduction renewable energy sources, increasing competitiveness, access to “green” capital and investments, EU legal heritage…

The director of the Center, Ivana Vojinović, has spoken on the topic of adaptation to climate change in the program “Ecovision” on RTCG.

Climate change is a global problem and phenomenon, which requires a multilateral response, communication and coordination of all countries of the world, especially members of the United Nations, both developed and less developed and which need significant financial resources to prepare an adequate response to climate shocks and hazards, as well as climate episodes to come in the years and decades ahead.

Montenegro has not adopted the Strategy yet, that is, the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change. The issue of adaptation to climate change is not integrated into other sectoral policies.