It is time to realize that green transformation and sustainable development will help Bulgaria to be a successful and prosperous country
We wish success to the new regular Bulgarian government and we believe that the intentions for transparency and reforms you have stated are necessary for our country. We hope they will be implemented quickly, effectively, and with the participation of the civil sector, business, and academia. The success of the Bulgarian state's policies is a success for the whole of society and all sectors.
One of the key areas in which it is important and urgent to implement reforms is dealing with the consequences of the climate crisis. Bulgaria needs to start down the path of green transformation and sustainable development: something we in the Green Restart Coalition have been pushing for since our alliance was formed a year and a half ago.
Green transformation and sustainable development are important not only because we are the country with the most resource-intensive and carbon-intensive economy in the EU, or because we have systemic problems with air pollution, the transport sector, and the energy system.
Green transformation and sustainable development are an opportunity for Bulgaria and its people: to be healthy, competitive, and prosperous. To be a leader in green development, innovative science, and economy, and in the digital transition. To be a country with preserved nature and biodiversity.
Green transformation and sustainable development is Europe's pathway, charted by the Von der Leyen Commission's major program the European Green Deal, but more importantly, it is the instrument to achieve Europe's long-term strategic vision by 2050 for a prosperous, modern, competitive, and climate-neutral economy.
Being climate neutral by 2050 and reducing carbon emissions by at least 55% by 2030 are not just 'external' targets of the European Commission that we have agreed to. They are a chance to live in a modern and developed country. They are a chance to make long, overdue, and necessary reforms. They are a chance for a successful green and digital transition with provided funding from the EU. A chance that could start with the approval and the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
A few days ago, even the largest economy in the European Union - Germany - took an important and urgent step to accelerate the green transformation and sustainable development. The new government of the Federal Republic has merged climate and economy into one ministry, sending a clear signal that for climate and economic development policies to be successful, they must go hand in hand, not against each other.
Green transformation and sustainable development are the only chance to preserve nature and to ensure competitiveness and prosperity in the economy today when the world is in a period of crucial change and the green and digital transitions are inseparable and inextricably linked.
We believe that elevating our climate policies to the position of a Deputy Prime Minister in the new government is an important first step. We wish success to the Deputy Prime Minister and his team and hope that they will contribute effectively to the necessary reforms in Bulgaria.
We realize that policies to mitigate the negative effects of climate change need to 'meet' with the economy, with energy, with transport, with regional development, with social policies, with education, and with all the other sectors affected. We therefore, insist that the approach to climate change must be horizontal and holistic.
Green transformation is a key element of policies to tackle the effects of climate change. And in our country, it must be an integral part of the work of the Deputy Prime Minister on climate policies, as well as being at the heart of reforming the economy, industry, and energy.
It is time to realize that green transformation and sustainable development will help Bulgaria to be a successful and prosperous country.
As urgent and immediate steps in this direction we insist on:
- Reforming the Advisory Council on the European Green Deal at the Council of Ministers to include representatives of the civil sector;
- Successfully conclude negotiations with the European Commission on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, addressing the need for ambitious and urgently needed reforms in the energy sector;
- Active involvement of Bulgaria in the preparation of the "Fit for 55" package, which is key to the implementation of the European Green Deal objectives;
- Strict adherence to the No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle of the EU Taxonomy on Sustainable Finance in the planning of all major investment projects, especially with regard to potential public financing of fossil gas and nuclear investments, which are generally inconsistent with this principle, even if the EC makes the controversial decision to make them eligible under the Taxonomy;
- Reflecting on the policies and processes from “Fit for 55” to Bulgaria's Annual EU Decision Making Program for 2022;
- Supporting the implementation of key European projects, including the creation of a dedicated program (fund) to support and co-finance future European programs and projects, as co-financing of Bulgarian beneficiaries is a neglected issue;
- Supporting Bulgarian companies to apply for green transformation projects, as well as those funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Innovation Council (EIC);
- Undertaking measures to introduce environmental education in the school system, including zero-waste and minimum carbon footprint living practices, circular economy basics, and sustainable consumption practices;
- Establish and develop research programs in universities to support sustainable development and the implementation of circular economy methods, including the promotion of scientific transfer related to green and climate innovation.
For more than a year and a half, we in the Green Restart Coalition have been working to support green recovery and sustainable development in Bulgaria, regardless of the configuration of the ruling coalitions or caretaker governments. Because we are convinced that Climate and Green Transformation is a national priority and must become a national cause.
We are ready to provide expert assistance to the new government, including in the framework of a meeting to present our proposals for the accelerated development of Bulgaria in harmony with nature.
We believe that through dialogue with all stakeholders and through transparency we can reach an agreement and a formula for taking Bulgaria on the path of prosperity that will guarantee opportunities for development and a decent life for all Bulgarian citizens.
As an appendix, we are sending the "Textbook on Future History of Bulgaria" - a special project of the Green Restart Coalition, which illustrates how our country can become a green and digital leader with a horizon of 30 years if it implements a group of urgent reforms (Editor's Note: the Textbook English Summary is available here). We also send as an appendix more than 150 ideas given by more than 50 of the leading Bulgarian scientists, which we summarized after a thematic meeting, driven by the idea to contribute with the capacity of the best experts for the sustainable development of Bulgaria.
We wish you success in your management and reform tasks and look forward to meeting you soon to discuss our views on the green transformation of our country.
To contact us, you can reach the following contacts. Marin Marinov, coordinator of the Green Restart Coalition - e-mail: marin.marinov@move.bg
Sincerely,
Green Restart Coalition
Sasha Bezuhanova,
Founder of MOVE.BG
Vesselina Kavrakova,
Executive Director of WWF Bulgaria
Denitza Petrova,
Executive Director of Greenpeace Bulgaria
Svetoslav Stoykov,
Co-Founder and Executive Director of Circular Economy Institute
*The letter, sent on 17 December 2021, is also available as a PDF here.
