At its 29th session in Geneva from 6 to 8 November 2024, the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy successfully peer-reviewed and adopted the recommendations from the fourth Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) of Montenegro and Tajikistan.
The delegations of the reviewed countries presented their key achievements and the main challenges faced in advancing their environmental agendas for sustainable development within the EPR framework.
The Chair (Estonia) of the UNECE Expert Group on EPRs, serving as Rapporteur, highlighted key findings in selected areas of the EPRs and outlined necessary steps to address the identified challenges. For both countries, the Rapporteur detailed key developments in legal, policy, and institutional frameworks since the previous EPRs.
In the report on Montenegro’s fourth EPR, the Rapporteur emphasized the country’s progress in establishing an ecological state as mandated by its Constitution. However, challenges remain in integrating environmental concerns into economic and investment policies, as well as in the effective implementation and enforcement of laws, including the polluter pays principle. The EPR recommends enhancing human and financial capacities within government institutions.
The Rapporteur also addressed critical issues related to tourism and air quality. With a 75% increase in tourism over the past decade, which now accounts for about a quarter of GDP in 2023, Montenegro faces difficulties in generating sufficient tax revenue for tourism infrastructure and environmental protection. The EPR recommends improving tourism-related environmental data for informed decision-making, reducing the environmental impact of tourism-related transport, increasing revenue, and preventing over-tourism.
Regarding air quality, good advancements have been made over the past decade. The EPR recommends to the government to strengthen air quality monitoring and management systems, promote zero-emission alternatives for residential heating (such as heat pumps and electric radiators), and implement energy efficiency measures in residential housing. It also recommends considering a ban on coal and waste fuels for residential heating, starting with public buildings. Furthermore, the EPR recommends integrating indoor air quality into public policies, particularly for vulnerable populations, and developing specific actions to improve it, while raising public awareness about the adverse impacts of air pollution and climate change on health and the environment. The fourth EPR of Montenegro includes 58 recommendations across 13 chapters, addressing 58 SDG targets covering 14 SDGs (excluding SDGs 4, 10, and 16).
For Tajikistan, the Rapporteur highlighted progress in strengthening the Civil Code to include the right to a safe environment and in improving environmental legislation and policies, while awaiting the finalization and adoption of the Environmental Code and the inclusion of Strategic Environmental Assessment. The EPR recommends that the Government of Tajikistan propose elevating the Committee for Environmental Protection to a ministry for climate action and environmental protection.
Additionally, the Rapporteur emphasized key findings related to climate change, glacier melting, and waste and chemicals management. The EPR acknowledged progress in addressing climate change issues and recommends establishing a national coordination mechanism for climate change, modernizing the national climate change centre, and urgently monitoring glacier dynamics while implementing community-based adaptation strategies for vulnerable populations. Enhancing the resilience of the water, agriculture, and energy sectors in light of climate change is also advised.
Waste and chemicals management presents significant challenges for Tajikistan, with numerous issues to address. The EPR recommends developing legislation and policies for an integrated waste management system, improving data collection, and tackling issues related to uranium tailings, construction and demolition waste, obsolete pesticides, medical waste, and spontaneous solid waste dumpsites. The fourth EPR of Tajikistan includes 87 recommendations across 17 chapters and addresses 69 SDG targets covering 15 SDGs (excluding SDGs 10 and 14).
During the ensuing discussion, CEP delegates posed questions, shared their experiences, and congratulated the governments of Tajikistan and Montenegro for their commitment to environmental excellence by undergoing their fourth reviews under the UNECE EPR Programme.
The Chair (Portugal) of the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy wished the governments of Montenegro and Tajikistan success in implementing the EPR recommendations, including by considering developing a road map to implement them.
The adopted recommendations of the fourth EPRs of Montenegro and Tajikistan are available on the UNECE website at https://unece.org/info/Environmental-Policy/Committee-on-Environmental-Policy/events/391827.