REC - EMTC: Insight 3/1: Croatia embraces cleaner production methods

P R O D U C T I O N

Croatia embraces cleaner production methods

Since the concept of sustainable development was launched at the Rio conference in 1992 it has become the buzz phrase that would incorporate harmonisation of both economic and environmental concerns. "Cleaner production," which works on the idea that both business and nature can improve, has been one of the most effective methods in working towards this goal. In Croatia, trainers are helping to bring that theory out of the text books and into practice.

Last year, a multilateral agreement called "Capacity Building in Cleaner Production" was signed between the Czech Republic, UNIDO and Croatia. The three-year project, which is part of the UNIDO/UNEP program for the establishment of a network of national cleaner production centers, is designed to train Croatian professionals in the concepts and methods of cleaner production. It is financed by the Czech Republic and UNIDO will provide the networking services for a future center, which will be established as the result of the project. UNIDO will use the professional capacities, expertise and experiences acquired at its Cleaner Production Center in Prague and adapt training to Croatian needs.

In Croatia there is a special chance to rebuild the war-stricken economy in a cleaner way. The country suffers from the usual transition problems of Central and Eastern Europe but environmental administration and enforcement are being developed alongside communal waste management. The country has 700 unregistered dumping sites and an estimated seven million tonnes a year of waste production, 5 percent of which is hazardous.

Implementation

Without cooperation it would all be a flop. The Ministry of the Economy and the State Directorate for the Protection of the Natural Environment have been particularly important in the beginning stages of implementing cleaner production in Croatia and will continue to play a leading role in the project. Moreover, other representatives in the fields of government, industry, scientific and educational institutions, agencies and non-governmental organisations, have also helped lay down firm foundations for the future. An introductory seminar in June 1997 mobilised a group of experts involved in industry, governmental and non-governmental organisations as potential candidates for implementation of the first phase of the project, "Long Term Interactive Training."

Three long-term interactive trainings are envisaged, under the guise of seminars and demonstration projects; manual development and promotion of demonstration projects results. A cleaner production center will be established during 1998 (within the existing UNEP/UNIDO network), which will serve as an institution for promotion and systematic engagement in cleaner production. It will rely mostly on the experts trained within the long-term training.

A certification scheme, which is currently under preparation, will encourage industry to continuously apply cleaner production principles throughout their environmental management system. The certificate will highlight environmentally proactive companies and give them bonus points when applying for bank loans. The first companies eligible to apply for the certificate will come from the long-term interactive training, alongside other companies that can quantify improvements in their environmental management. This certificate will not act as a competitive label for existing schemes but as a complimentary one, aimed at improving existing environmental management mechanisms.

The positive responses to Croatia's cleaner production initiative suggest a brighter environmental and economic future, built on stronger foundations. Something which began as the idealism of individuals has fortunately gained recognition from both domestic and foreign institutions. The success of Cleaner Production depends on the extent of stakeholders' involvement and proper use of the capacities currently being developed. Development strategy must focus on the economic principles of demand and self-sustainability to ensure good results.

REC * EMTC * PUBLICATIONS * INSIGHT * SPRING/SUMMER 1998