Montenegro and Slovenia
Division for the Support to the National Council for Sustainable Development
Date: 2 April 2014
Cluster 4: Economic growth; Industrialization; Infrastructure; Energy
Joint input of Montenegro and Slovenia for the 10th Meeting of OWG SDG
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Slovenia and Montenegro.
Economic growth:
For achieving truly sustainable development, economic development must be taken
into account on equal footing. At the same time we believe that in formulating the
targets for economic growth, inter-linkages with the environmental and social
dimensions should be strengthened (building inclusive society and ensuring fair and
decent jobs).
Stronger linkages should be made with the work of the UN Statistical Division on
developing the growth measures that go beyond GDP (as agreed in Rio in 2012).
The issue of resource efficiency is a direction for a potential target. Such target can
promote increased environmental sustainability of economies.
Macroeconomic policy and employment issues are strongly connected. In this regard
is would be important to appropriately address this connection in inter-linkages and
proposed areas for action in both priority areas.
Enhancing macroeconomic policy coordination should strive to ensure economic
growth with sustainable jobs, decent wages and adequate social security. Productive
jobs must be decently paid.
We support action on promotion of entrepreneurship, especially of small and medium
enterprises. It would be important to consider not only their innovation but also job
creation potential. In this field increased access to financial resources for
entrepreneurs, including youth, women and other vulnerable groups, is important.
We also support inclusion of enablers for economic growth in SDGs targets. Two of
important enablers include promoting an open, rules-based, non-discriminatory and
equitable multilateral trading system and promoting rule of law and conductive
regulatory environment.
2
Industrialization:
In the field of industrialization we wish to point out importance of environmentally
sustainable and socially inclusive industrialization as one of important engines for
economic development and sustainable development in general.
We support actions for resource efficiency in industrial sector with emphasis on
energy and water efficiency.
We also support in the framework of industry appropriate use and management of
chemicals is taken into consideration. Phasing out of harmful chemicals can be
achieved through eliminating their production and use. We should seek sustainable
alternatives globally. There is also a need to promote rational, informed and
responsible use of chemicals in general, also taking into consideration their negative
impacts on human health.
We also support further promotion and rising investment in more sustainable
industrial development, greater resource efficiency, green and low-carbon
technologies, including in the field of water treatment.
Infrastructure:
We support Focus area approach that infrastructure planning should give due
account for environmental and social impacts of existing and planned infrastructure
from a lifecycle perspective. In this regard promotion of sustainable transportation
systems is important.
Within this area we also support targeting improvements of infrastructure for
sustainable tourism as it provides for increased win-win opportunities in all three
areas of sustainable development.
Energy:
Slovenia and Montenegro support a stand-alone goal on energy.
On target level, access to sustainable and clean energy is vital and a precondition for
the overall achievement of various sustainability targets, e.g. on health, food, water,
climate, equality and employment.
Besides the aspects of access to energy services, sustainable energy and energy
efficiency, encompassed in SE4ALL, attention on a target level should be also given
to institutional, regulatory and human infrastructure that will enable a development of
necessary technologies and therefore aim toward energy security.
3
We also wish to highlight importance of dialogue with key stakeholders, intensifying
management through various initiatives and ensuring a systematic dialogue in the
energy field and consequently in the fields of climate change and sustainable
development.
We support stronger link between energy and sustainable cities and human
settlements as energy efficiency in urban areas is one of cornerstones of sustainable
cities.
Date: 2 April 2014
Cluster 4: Economic growth; Industrialization; Infrastructure; Energy
Joint input of Montenegro and Slovenia for the 10th Meeting of OWG SDG
I have the honour to speak on behalf of Slovenia and Montenegro.
Economic growth:
For achieving truly sustainable development, economic development must be taken
into account on equal footing. At the same time we believe that in formulating the
targets for economic growth, inter-linkages with the environmental and social
dimensions should be strengthened (building inclusive society and ensuring fair and
decent jobs).
Stronger linkages should be made with the work of the UN Statistical Division on
developing the growth measures that go beyond GDP (as agreed in Rio in 2012).
The issue of resource efficiency is a direction for a potential target. Such target can
promote increased environmental sustainability of economies.
Macroeconomic policy and employment issues are strongly connected. In this regard
is would be important to appropriately address this connection in inter-linkages and
proposed areas for action in both priority areas.
Enhancing macroeconomic policy coordination should strive to ensure economic
growth with sustainable jobs, decent wages and adequate social security. Productive
jobs must be decently paid.
We support action on promotion of entrepreneurship, especially of small and medium
enterprises. It would be important to consider not only their innovation but also job
creation potential. In this field increased access to financial resources for
entrepreneurs, including youth, women and other vulnerable groups, is important.
We also support inclusion of enablers for economic growth in SDGs targets. Two of
important enablers include promoting an open, rules-based, non-discriminatory and
equitable multilateral trading system and promoting rule of law and conductive
regulatory environment.
2
Industrialization:
In the field of industrialization we wish to point out importance of environmentally
sustainable and socially inclusive industrialization as one of important engines for
economic development and sustainable development in general.
We support actions for resource efficiency in industrial sector with emphasis on
energy and water efficiency.
We also support in the framework of industry appropriate use and management of
chemicals is taken into consideration. Phasing out of harmful chemicals can be
achieved through eliminating their production and use. We should seek sustainable
alternatives globally. There is also a need to promote rational, informed and
responsible use of chemicals in general, also taking into consideration their negative
impacts on human health.
We also support further promotion and rising investment in more sustainable
industrial development, greater resource efficiency, green and low-carbon
technologies, including in the field of water treatment.
Infrastructure:
We support Focus area approach that infrastructure planning should give due
account for environmental and social impacts of existing and planned infrastructure
from a lifecycle perspective. In this regard promotion of sustainable transportation
systems is important.
Within this area we also support targeting improvements of infrastructure for
sustainable tourism as it provides for increased win-win opportunities in all three
areas of sustainable development.
Energy:
Slovenia and Montenegro support a stand-alone goal on energy.
On target level, access to sustainable and clean energy is vital and a precondition for
the overall achievement of various sustainability targets, e.g. on health, food, water,
climate, equality and employment.
Besides the aspects of access to energy services, sustainable energy and energy
efficiency, encompassed in SE4ALL, attention on a target level should be also given
to institutional, regulatory and human infrastructure that will enable a development of
necessary technologies and therefore aim toward energy security.
3
We also wish to highlight importance of dialogue with key stakeholders, intensifying
management through various initiatives and ensuring a systematic dialogue in the
energy field and consequently in the fields of climate change and sustainable
development.
We support stronger link between energy and sustainable cities and human
settlements as energy efficiency in urban areas is one of cornerstones of sustainable
cities.