Croatia
Statement
by
Ms. Marijana Mance Kowalsky
Director for International Relations and Sustainable Development
Ministry of Enviornment, Physical Planning and Construction
Republic of Croatia
on
10 ? Year Framework of Programs on
Sustainable Consumption and Production
at the Intergovernmenatal Preparatory Meeting
for 19 th session United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Mr. Chairman,
Drawing lessons from the Commission's review of activities in the area of
sustainable consumption and production last year, it is clear that more
programmes and initiatives are necessary to help create mutually supportive
consumer-producer partnerships across the world, which support long-term
economic development in a manner that protects and manages our natural
resource base more wisely. Here, Governments can play an important role in
fostering a shift from current habits towards more sustainable means of
consumption and production practices by adoption of cross-sectoral policies.
Furthermore, they can try to lead by example, through instigating sustainable
consumption practices and management of their impact in the daily
conduct of government business.
As a Mediterranean country, enjoying rich natural and cultural heritage,
Croatia is fully aware of the strategic importance of minimizing the negative
impact of its economic development on its basic common goods. With that
aim in mind, the Croatian Parliament enacted a National Sustainable
Development Strategy in 2009.
With the support of UNEP, Croatia is currently developing an Action Plan for
sustainable consumption and production to serve as an implementation tool
for its National Strategy for Sustainable Development. This Action Plan aims to
introduce the fundamental principle of systems and life-cycle thinking.
Furthermore it aims at making Croatian national policies more sustainable by
taking a more synergetic approach through the integration of other policies
in the areas of industry, transport, energy, agriculture, tourism, research and
development, as well as education.
Through the ongoing work of a mutli-stakeholder and mutli-sectoral working
group mandated to develop the Action Plan, already there is a recognition
that even small scale measures can bring significant benefits. However, it is
also recognized that major investments will be required especially in the
industrial sector. This will involve implementing measures for cleaner
production, pollution prevention and control. Croatia has started employing
an integrated approach to control environmental impacts of certain industrial
activities through a single permitting process.
Within Croatia?s private sector, there is a growing recognition that corporate
social responsibility is a very important. Commercial entities are becoming
more aware that they can simultaneously increase their sustainable practices
whilst further developing their enterprises. In supporting further promotion of
the CSR concept a CSR Index has been developed as a voluntary evaluation
model of such practices for Croatian businesses.
Mr. Chairman,
Fully aware of the critical role education plays in this issue, Croatia has
developed an Action Plan for Education for Sustainable Development, which
is currently undergoing a public consultation process. We would like to
highlight here one of the measures therein aimed at educating civil servants
on sustainable development and their role in designing and promoting
effective policies. Under a project implemented last year, 20 trainers were
trained to hold workshops on sustainable development within the regular
training programme of the Ministry of Administration.
Needless to say, there exists a strong linkage between SCP and a Green
Economy. In an effort to strengthen regional collaboration to address these
two important topics and contribute to both CSD and RIO + 20 processes,
Croatia and Serbia, in partnership with UNEP, will convene a ?South Eastern
European Green Economy/Sustainable Consumption and Production?
meeting to be held in April this year in Belgrade.
To conclude Mr. Chairman,
A very important outcome of CSD 18 was the call for a unifying framework of
programmes that could reduce the current fragmentation and dissonance
among various inititiatives and instruments. Looking forward, it is our hope
that CSD 19 will result in an agreement as to a vision for the 10 YFP. However,
it is important that any institionalized global mechanism draws on existing
structures, involving major stakeholders, and is integrated, where possible, into
existing cooperation activities in this area. Furthermore, the Framework should
be designed so as to address all pillars of sustainable development and forster
implementation of global sustainable development commitments. Finally, to
ensure implementation on the ground, as you pointed out Mr. Chairman, it
should facilitate mainstreaming of SCP objectives into national policies.
by
Ms. Marijana Mance Kowalsky
Director for International Relations and Sustainable Development
Ministry of Enviornment, Physical Planning and Construction
Republic of Croatia
on
10 ? Year Framework of Programs on
Sustainable Consumption and Production
at the Intergovernmenatal Preparatory Meeting
for 19 th session United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Mr. Chairman,
Drawing lessons from the Commission's review of activities in the area of
sustainable consumption and production last year, it is clear that more
programmes and initiatives are necessary to help create mutually supportive
consumer-producer partnerships across the world, which support long-term
economic development in a manner that protects and manages our natural
resource base more wisely. Here, Governments can play an important role in
fostering a shift from current habits towards more sustainable means of
consumption and production practices by adoption of cross-sectoral policies.
Furthermore, they can try to lead by example, through instigating sustainable
consumption practices and management of their impact in the daily
conduct of government business.
As a Mediterranean country, enjoying rich natural and cultural heritage,
Croatia is fully aware of the strategic importance of minimizing the negative
impact of its economic development on its basic common goods. With that
aim in mind, the Croatian Parliament enacted a National Sustainable
Development Strategy in 2009.
With the support of UNEP, Croatia is currently developing an Action Plan for
sustainable consumption and production to serve as an implementation tool
for its National Strategy for Sustainable Development. This Action Plan aims to
introduce the fundamental principle of systems and life-cycle thinking.
Furthermore it aims at making Croatian national policies more sustainable by
taking a more synergetic approach through the integration of other policies
in the areas of industry, transport, energy, agriculture, tourism, research and
development, as well as education.
Through the ongoing work of a mutli-stakeholder and mutli-sectoral working
group mandated to develop the Action Plan, already there is a recognition
that even small scale measures can bring significant benefits. However, it is
also recognized that major investments will be required especially in the
industrial sector. This will involve implementing measures for cleaner
production, pollution prevention and control. Croatia has started employing
an integrated approach to control environmental impacts of certain industrial
activities through a single permitting process.
Within Croatia?s private sector, there is a growing recognition that corporate
social responsibility is a very important. Commercial entities are becoming
more aware that they can simultaneously increase their sustainable practices
whilst further developing their enterprises. In supporting further promotion of
the CSR concept a CSR Index has been developed as a voluntary evaluation
model of such practices for Croatian businesses.
Mr. Chairman,
Fully aware of the critical role education plays in this issue, Croatia has
developed an Action Plan for Education for Sustainable Development, which
is currently undergoing a public consultation process. We would like to
highlight here one of the measures therein aimed at educating civil servants
on sustainable development and their role in designing and promoting
effective policies. Under a project implemented last year, 20 trainers were
trained to hold workshops on sustainable development within the regular
training programme of the Ministry of Administration.
Needless to say, there exists a strong linkage between SCP and a Green
Economy. In an effort to strengthen regional collaboration to address these
two important topics and contribute to both CSD and RIO + 20 processes,
Croatia and Serbia, in partnership with UNEP, will convene a ?South Eastern
European Green Economy/Sustainable Consumption and Production?
meeting to be held in April this year in Belgrade.
To conclude Mr. Chairman,
A very important outcome of CSD 18 was the call for a unifying framework of
programmes that could reduce the current fragmentation and dissonance
among various inititiatives and instruments. Looking forward, it is our hope
that CSD 19 will result in an agreement as to a vision for the 10 YFP. However,
it is important that any institionalized global mechanism draws on existing
structures, involving major stakeholders, and is integrated, where possible, into
existing cooperation activities in this area. Furthermore, the Framework should
be designed so as to address all pillars of sustainable development and forster
implementation of global sustainable development commitments. Finally, to
ensure implementation on the ground, as you pointed out Mr. Chairman, it
should facilitate mainstreaming of SCP objectives into national policies.
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