Green Budget to Address Environmental Issues in Georgia
A New Joint Initiative of ADA/CENN and the Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Committee of the Georgian Parliament
A new Green Budget Project is set to develop a manual recommendation document for the Georgian Parliament in order to effectively create and implement budgeting mechanisms for environmental protection. The project utilizes instruments that facilitate and align both national and global environmental protection goals by making informed budgeting decisions. The Green Budget Project is a result of a joint initiative between CENN and the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Georgian Parliament, financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation, within the scope of the project - ‘Promoting Sustainable Forest Management for Climate Resilient Rural Development in Georgia.’
“The Green Budget Project could kickstart major reforms in the country for more a resilient and sustainable future, and I am glad that we will be one of the catalysts for these changes,” said CENN Director Nana Janashia. “CENN is ready to assist the government to become more accountable for their environmental commitments and support them in transitioning the country towards sustainable and resilient societies”.
During the March 11 assembly of the Environment Protection and Natural Resources Committee, a working group was formed to implement the Green Budget Project, made up of Members of Parliament, representatives of environmental protection organizations and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, as well as relevant specialists. The working group will create the Green Budget Project document and present it to Parliament for approval. The document will identify the financial challenges of environmental protection and facilitate the establishment of an effective parliamentary budgeting process.
“Since the Environment Protection and Natural Resources committee has a high standard of transparency the process is ongoing with high social engagement,” said Denis Salukvadze, the coordinator of the project from the Parliament’s side. “Despite the state of emergency in the country, announced due to the spread of COVID-19, governmental bodies and different departments are working without hindrance, remotely.”
The document will also analyse the efficacy of putting into practice the State’s environmental protective functions and obligations and will outline priorities that will serve as a foundation for forming recommendations to fulfil environmental protection goals for the 2021 budgeting process. Within the scope of the project, the first environmental protection aspects of the state budget will be assessed, followed by the budget’s Basic Data and Directions document and then the mid-term action plans of facilities working in the field. The results of said analysis will assist the working group to develop the aforementioned manual document for Parliament for the 2021 budget hearing, sharing important recommendations to assist Georgia in reaching its environment protection goals.
“The Green Budget project will be the first document of its kind for the Parliament of Georgia, which will unite the priorities in the direction of environmental protection and will implement these priorities in the fiscal policies of the country” said Nino Tsilosani, Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.