Green Belarus News & Events SUPPLEMENT TO THE DIGEST“GREEN BELARUS” ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER in Belarus "ECO-INFO" CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY NAS BELARUS № 4 (43), April, 2017 MINSK, BELARUS Ссылка на фото http://ecoinfo.bas-net.by/ecology-belarus/ecology_news_in_Belarus.html Environment Ministry: Joint project with EU has promoted THIS ISSUE: development of green economy in Belarus The joint project with the Europe- project of international technical Natural Resources and Environmental Environment Ministry: Joint project an Union has contributed to the assistance. For Belarus, this is a new Protection. “Much has been done development of green economy in field that holds great potential for the during the implementation of the with EU has promoted develop- Belarus, Belarusian First Deputy production of organic foods and crea- project. We are looking forward to ment of green economy in Belarus Natural Resources and Environ- tion of jobs in rural areas. Work was new programs and strongly believe mental Protection Minister Iya also underway in the field of certifica- that together we can achieve consid- ........................................................... 1 Malkina said at the opening of the tion of goods, works and services. The erable results,” he added. international conference on green achieved results will be used to estab- European Union to invest over economy in Minsk on 5 April, Bel- lish norms, rules and environmental Minsk is hosting an international TA has learned. quality standards. For the past several conference on green economy in €800,000 in green economy pro- years, Belarus has been committed to Belarus and ways to promote its jects in Brest Oblast ........................ 1 The conference sums up the results of the development of green economy, development on 5 April. The forum is the project Technical Assistance to Iya Malkina noted. held by the Belarusian Ministry of Support the Development of Green Natural Resources and Environmental Belarus presents initiatives on Economy in Belarus funded by the She emphasized that the development Protection jointly with the Institute of boosting cooperation European Union and implemented by of green economy is particularly rele- Economics of the National Academy of the consortium led by Hulla and Co vant in the context of the Year of Sciences of Belarus with the help of in energy efficiency in New York . 2 Human Dynamics KG. It was designed Science in Belarus. “We are always the project Technical Assistance to to facilitate institutional transfor- proud to say that our country has Support the Development of Green Czechia invites Brest Oblast to de- mations in the country, including in great intellectual potential. However, Economy in Belarus funded by the the Belarusian legislation. The project we should run slightly ahead of the European Union and implemented by velop joint environmental projects ran for more than two years. It con- global standards. We hope that the the consortium led by Hulla and Co tributed to the preparation of the solutions designed by Belarusian Human Dynamics KG. The conference ........................................................... 2 national action plan for the develop- scientists will help us achieve the aims to work out methodological ment of green economy in Belarus for goals that we have set out in the approaches to Belarus' transition to World Bank ready to consider ad- the period until 2020 approved by the national action plan for the develop- sustainable development and promo- Belarusian government in December ment of green economy for the period tion of advanced scientific solutions in ditional investing in Belarus' forestry 2016. Another major focus of the until 2020,” Iya Malkina emphasized. priority areas of green economy de- sector ................................................ 2 project was on organic farming. Bela- scribed in the national action plan for rus' plan of draft laws for 2017 fea- Frederik Coene, Head of Operations the development of green economy Over 20 million trees planted in tures a law on organic farming. The Section at the Delegation of the Euro- for the period until 2020. law has been drafted in cooperation pean Union to Belarus, said that im- Belarus during Forest Week 2017 . 2 with experts engaged through the portant Belarus-EU ties have been BELTA, established through the Ministry of 4.04.2017 PM: Clean-up following last year's storms largely over in Belarus ....... 3 European Union to invest over €800,000 in green economy projects in Brest Oblast The European Union intends to have been bought. A strategy to de- The project for assisting Belarus' invest over €800,000 in the imple- velop ecotourism and marketing has transition to green economy is fi- mentation of pilot initiatives in the been put together. A business plan nanced by the European Union and is area of green economy in Brest has been worked out. Ten new tour- being implemented by the United Oblast, BelTA learned during a ism products are now being mastered Nations Development Program. It was green economy awareness-raising by the local personnel. The initiative launched in January 2015. A total of event in Brest. has already produced results as the 23 pilot initiatives are being imple- number of visitors the wildlife sanctu- mented all over the country as part of European money is used to implement ary attracts rose by 36% in 2016. The the project, with €5 million appor- three green economy initiatives in premises are being beautified now. tioned for them. The project is sup- Brest Oblast. The largest one is the Work on design specifications and posed to end on 31 December 2017. creation of a facility to convert waste estimates to build a photo tower is wood into biofuel at premises of the nearing completion. “We intend to The first information meeting on prin- Brest city utilities enterprise. The sign the contract and erect the photo ciples, mechanisms, and prospects of facility was opened in 2016 and now tower for watching birds and animals promoting green economy in the successfully operates. A mobile plant soon,” noted the project specialist. Republic of Belarus took place in Brest to chop waste wood has been bought, on 19 April. The event was organized a plant for sorting the resulting wood The Brest transboundary information by the European Union Delegation to chips by fractions as well as a loader center's initiative for organic food Belarus with assistance of the Bela- with mounted equipment. The project production and promotion through rusian Natural Resources and Environ- goes on. Work is in progress to buy reliance on agroecotourism operators mental Protection Ministry and the boiler equipment. and active members of the local com- Brest Oblast administration. There are munity has been successfully imple- plans to arrange similar awareness- An environmental information center mented. The initiative provides for raising events in Vitebsk, Grodno, has been established in the wildlife converting several populated localities Gomel, and Minsk Oblast. sanctuary Pribuzhskoye Polesie (the in Kamenets District into a herbal village of Leplevka, Brest District). tourism destination in addition to BELTA, 19.04.2017 The premises have been repaired and starting the production of herbal teas. equipped: bicycles, canoes, and tents P. 2 NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS Belarus presents initiatives on boosting cooperation in energy efficiency in New York Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Photo courtesy of the Ministry should unite their efforts in order to ensure Valentin Rybakov visited New York on 4 of Foreign Affairs access to environmentally sound sources of April. As a special guest he took part in the energy and relevant technologies. 3rd Sustainable Energy for All forum. The GREEN BELARUS deputy foreign minister presented Belarus' The New York forum was held by the non- initiatives on boosting multilateral cooper- governmental organization Sustainable Energy ation in energy efficiency, BelTA learned for All headquartered in Vienna. The organiza- from the press service of the Belarusian tion serves as a coordinating platform for gov- , 2017 Foreign Ministry. ernments, business community, financial ex- perts, and civil society and draws their attention Valentin Rybakov spoke about the Belarusian to the goal of ensuring access to sustainable activity in energy industry and international energy for all. This goal corresponds to the 7th JAPRIL cooperation in this matter. The Belarusian diplomat spoke at length about Sustainable Development Goal (affordable and clean energy). The organi- Belarusian initiatives on stepping up multilateral cooperation in energy zation sees its task in raising investment in order to enhance the access efficiency with a focus on access to advanced energy technologies, the to sources of energy, boost energy efficiency and promote renewable press service remarked. energy. № 4 (43), The deputy foreign minister noted that energy industry is gaining more and more importance in terms of fulfilling the Agenda for Sustainable BELTA, 05.04.2017 Development. Governments, business community and other parties Czechia invites Brest Oblast to develop joint environmental projects The Czech Republic and Brest Oblast are interested in the projects to process solid municipal waste. Our region produces 600,000- development of joint environmental projects, Chairman of the 700,000 tonnes of waste annually,” the governor said. Brest Oblast Executive Committee Anatoly Lis said as he met with The parties also discussed the ways of bolstering ties in the timber Czech Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade Jiri Koliba, BelTA industry, agricultural mechanical engineering and metalworking, setting has learned. up joint manufactures of electric boilers for household and industrial “You have a wealth of experience in the field of environmentally purposes. sound technologies. I believe that this is the area where we should coop- Last year the trade between Brest Oblast and the Czech Republic erate. I would be happy if we found common ground and established amounted to about $15 million. In January-February 2017, it made up cooperation in this area,” Jiri Koliba said. $3.1 million (an increase of 189%).