On 31 March 2023, the “European Union for Environment” (EU4Environment) organised a discussion mainly addressed to companies that wish to market a product as environmentally friendly in the European Union (EU). In particular, the benefits of Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) were explained. This method helps companies to calculate their environmental performance based on reliable, verifiable and comparable information. PEF use is often accompanied by benchmarking, which is a powerful incentive to create a reputation for environmentally friendly goods. Attended by over 50 participants, the event brought together representatives from central and local authorities, industrial enterprises, business associations, as well as Non-Governmental Organisations.

The audience was warmly welcomed by representatives from the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation, the European Commission, and UNIDO. In his opening remarks, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Petru Tataru, stated that “for over ten years, the Ministry has been promoting the principles of green economy in the country. However, it is important to remember that the green transition is a process, and not an endpoint. As a candidate country to the European Union, the Republic of Moldova will work hard to reach the EU environmental standards, which are an integral part of sustainable economic growth”.

The European Council granted candidate status to Moldova on 23 June 2022. Amongst key commitments on the EU path, the Moldovan Government has developed ambitious policies in line with the European Green Deal. These include the recently adopted National Development Strategy 2030, the draft Environmental Strategy for 2030, and the draft Programme on the promotion of Green Economy for 2023-2027. In this context, it is important to help Moldovan enterprises to make practical steps towards green economy. This includes help for exporting products to the EU market where products’ environmental characteristics influence consumer choices.

Green principles should be implemented at any area of human activity, be it education, healthcare, or economy. In this sense, there is a need in extension of local expertise to know where, when and how to access resources, technologies and know how and to stimulate the sustainable development of the Republic of Moldova”, said Ms. Veronica Arpintin, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation.

Accelerating the green transition will help Moldova live up to its economic, social, and environmental challenges, as well as to fulfil its international commitments. Besides technical support, the EU facilitates investments into economic growth and infrastructure in the Eastern Partnership countries through an ambitious Economic and Investment Plan. Green economy is one of the Plan’s priorities for mobilising investments.

"The EU is the biggest trading partner of Moldova. In recent years, in the EU, we have noticed an increased interest from citizens to have a personal contribution towards greening the economy, and from consumers, to improve their consumption habits. There is a growing market for green products and services, and, attached to it, is an even greater attention towards reliable and verifiable information about green claims”, said Mr. Gérald Audaz, Team Leader, European Commission.

This is precisely the purpose of the PEF methodology. By helping enterprises quantify the environmental impacts of their goods or services, PEF is encouraging the diffusion of sustainable products in the EU Single Market. The PEF methodology defines how a producer can calculate and communicate an environmental score of a product by covering its entire life cycle. This also benefits people’s well-being, as consumers can trust that sustainability-related information is verifiable, transparent, and accurate. The promotion of tools such as PEF is part of the EU4Environment’s activities led by UNIDO.

"Under EU4Environment, UNIDO seeks to use its mandate and support the sustainable and inclusive industrial development of the Eastern Partnership countries as an ecological and prosperous one. We achieve this through projects in which we can promote social inclusion, job creation, and opportunities for greening production processes and consumer goods, these all being the instruments of greener economic growth" said Ms. Tatiana Chernyavskaya, EU4Environment Project Manager, UNIDO.

Background

The “European Union for Environment” (EU4Environment – Green Economy) Action helps the Eastern Partnership countries preserve their natural capital and increase people's environmental well-being, by supporting environment-related action, demonstrating and unlocking opportunities for greener growth, and setting mechanisms to better manage environmental risks and impacts. It is funded by the European Union and implemented by five Partner organizations - OECD, UNECE, UNEP, UNIDO, and the World Bank – over the 2019-2024 period, with a budget of EUR 20 million.

For more information about the Action, please visit: www.eu4environment.org

For more information about resource efficiency in the Republic of Moldova, please visit: www.odimm.md/en/home-recp

Contact

Ms. Tatiana Chernyavskaya, EU4Environment Project Manager

Department of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

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