The World Bank and FYR Macedonia have agreed on a partnership to assess new ways for advancing growth while protecting and enhancing the environment.
The World Bank formally launched the Green Growth and Climate Change Analytic and Advisory Support Program in late September 2011, with funding support from the World Bank and the Governments of Norway and Sweden. The program will build on the Macedonian National Strategy for Sustainable Development (formally adopted in 2010) and commitments towards EU accession. The focus of the program is on jobs creation, inclusive growth, adaptation to climate change, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and policy reforms and public investments. The Green Growth program is an umbrella effort which includes studies, analyses, technical assistance and training.
The program was formally launched during a visit to Skopje in late September, conducted by a World Bank delegation of specialists addressing such key topics as macro-economics, energy, emissions modeling, transport, environment, and communications and public awareness. This visit followed up on the World Bank's Green Growth team visit in Skopje in February and March 2011, when the general framework of the program was discussed with the Government, and covered more than a half of the building blocks of the program. During the visit, World Bank teams met with numerous stakeholders representing the Government, including representatives of the Cabinet, Ministry of Economy, Finance, Environment and Physical Planning, and Transport, as well as with representatives of the academia and the civil society.
The objective of these meetings was to further shape the initial understanding of green growth goals and work programs over the next few months. Candidate sector-specific activities were explored, including appropriate working group structures, coordination mechanisms and linkages to broader macroeconomic modeling, and possible roles for international and national consultants were also identified and refined as appropriate. The team was pleased with the commitment of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, who will lead this inter-Ministerial effort on behalf of the Government. Coordination structures both inside the Government and with all stakeholders will be refined over the coming months.
Further working group sessions and workshops are anticipated to be held on a monthly to bi-monthly basis, with the next mission taking place in mid-October.
