Earth Day: let’s colour the sport in green, save endangered species!

April 22, 2019

On the occasion of Earth Day, UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro, Daniela Gašparikova planted trees together with Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Pavle Radulović and President of Montenegrin Olympic Committee, Dušan Simonović, and Slađanom Vujačić, Deputy Maypr of Podgorica.

PRESS RELEASE

Celebrating the Earth Day: let’s colour the sport in green, save endangered species!

Podgorica April 22, 2019.  Earth Day is celebrated across the globe, Montenegro included – this day is being marked in the spirit of numerous environmental activities. International Earth Day is celebrated as a reminder that the Earth and her ecosystems are giving us life. This year’s topic is protection of endangered species, which are at the brink of extinction due to climate change, pollution of water, air and soil. Humans are the ones responsible for disrupted natural balance and endangering biodiversity, and every day we are witnessing collective negligence, absence of due care and responsibility towards the environment. On the occasion of the Earth Day, at the UN Eco House, Montenegrin Olympic Committee, Ministry of Tourism and Sustainable Development and UNDP signed a Statement of Intent to carry out the Green Games Programme, which will be implemented within the Games of the Small States of Europe, hosted by Montenegro from 27 May to 1 June 2019, with UNDP support.

Resident Coordinator of UNDP to Montenegro, Ms Daniela Gašparikova, said that one of the UNDP approaches is to use the impact of pop culture to raise awareness and trigger the change among young people. “This means not just to educate young people about the causes and impacts of the climate change, but also to provide support to concrete activities, such as – supporting organization and greening of the most popular Montenegrin music festivals and sports events in order to make it a rule rather than an exception. Partnership we endow today with this Agreement aims at achieving synergies between sustainability and sport at the upcoming Games of Small States of Europe, in order to make it a model for future organization of sports events in line with environmental standards. Thus, we can demonstrate that carbon footprint can be minimized during the Games, as well as, at all similar future sports events”, concluded Gašparikova.

Montenegro is actively participating in creation of a sustainable future and establishment of a legislative-strategic framework for protection and promotion of the environment and attainment of European environmental standards.

Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Mr Pavle Radulović, said “I am particularly pleased that we will promote environment protection through sport. It is customary that big sport events have a huge impact on the environment: increased consumption of energy and water, creation of huge quantities of waste, increase traffic congestions, pollution of air and waters. This is why the Games of Small States of Europe have a mission to be inclusive, environmental, and sustainable. Among other things this means that throughout the Games, there will be selective waste containers, organized collective transport of athletes and the staff, in order to reduce environmental pollution and carbon footprint. The entire Games will be implemented without the use of plastic in any shape or form. Instead of plastic bottles, athletes will be using thermos mugs made of 100% environmental materials. Furthermore, we will have an opportunity to host 450 volunteers from foreign countries that will be working alongside hundreds of Montenegrin volunteers. This sport event is an opportunity to promote the beauty of Montenegrin nature as viewers throughout Europe and the globe will be able to watch the Games. However, besides natural beauties Montenegro is presenting itself as a country able to organize events that require serious organizational skills’, said Radulović.

The biggest event Montenegro is hosting in its recent history will host athletes from eight European countries with population less than one million inhabitants. Therefore, Montenegro shall be hosting athletes from Lichtenstein, Cyprus, Iceland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Andorra, Malta and San Marino.

President of Montenegrin Olympic Committee Mr Dušan Simonović, underlined that “Our country will be hosting a multi-sports event for the first time, gathering approximately 2000 athletes, trainers, officials, representatives of National Olympic Committees and journalists. The Games of Small States of Europe are especially important as an event that will be organized in line with the highest environmental standards. Montenegrin Olympic Committee has adopted a programme “Green Games”, in line with our strategy and clear determination to promote, through sport, and in particular through organization of sports events, sustainability and environmental protection. This means that the Games shall be organized in line with the principles of International Olympic Committee Strategy on Sustainability and Environmental Protection, as well as in line with the Strategy of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism and Government of Montenegro. Under the slogan “Be fair by nature” we have developed instructions for organizing sport events, which must to be met in order for these events to avoid negative environmental impact’’, concluded Simonović.

After the signing of cooperation agreement, planting of trees was organized in front of the ‘Morača’ Sports Centre in Podgorica, in the presence of Deputy Mayor Sladjana Vujačić and officials from the UNDP, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism and Montenegrin Olympic Committee. Tree planting events were organized simultaneously in Budva, Tivat, and Cetinje in the presence of Mayors and representatives of organizers of the Games of Small States of Europe – Montenegro 2019.

For additional information please contact:

Radica Zekovic, UNDP: Mob: 069 900 000; e-mail: radica.zekovic@undp.org