(^228) Evaluation of Current Activities to Mitigate Climate Change – Institutional Analysis Human Development Report - Croatia 2008
13.5. Recommendations for the
capacity needed to address
climate change mitigation and
advance human development
Croatia has made significant strides towards establish-
ing an institutional framework that could lead to emis-
sions reductions and foster human development. The
regulatory framework set out by the Government has
sent a clear message that energy efficiency, renew-
able energy and reduced emissions are important. A
fair amount of technological capacity and knowledge
exists in Croatia to address climate change mitigation
demands and ensure that human development is en-
hanced, not undermined. Opportunities for financing
emissions reductions also exist and are increasing.
This capacity is likely to continue to grow as Croatia
moves towards EU accession. There are several spe-
cific recommendations that can be made to ensure
that mitigation efforts aid human development rather
than hinder it.
- The Government should form an inter-ministeri-
al working group on climate change coordinated
by MEPPPC. This group should include technical
and political representatives who can work to-
gether to ensure improved communication and
coordination among Governmental actors. This
coordination could prevent the waste of public
resources, including staff time, and ensure that
ministerial strategies/ plans take climate change
into account in development planning. The man-
date of the group could be more general and
also address adaptation as well as mitigation.- Data development and best practice measures
should be made more publicly available when
funded by the Government. Possible channels
for making this information available include
the Croatian Environmental Agency, further
development of the Climate Change web-site
at http://klima.mzopu.hr/, or by a website de-
veloped and managed by the inter-ministerial
working group proposed above. - Progress that is currently being made in promot-
ing energy efficiency in the Government sector
should also be encouraged in the industrial and
SME sectors. - Further development of the stakeholder process
may be necessary to involve business represen-
tatives in discussions regarding the implementa-
tion of new policies. - Revenue from carbon fees should be used either
for emissions reductions programmes or for tax
reductions for fee-payers. - Business and technical consultancy organisa-
tions may have a competitive advantage in pro-
moting regional mitigation measures. Croatian
companies should investigate possibilities for
marketing mitigation measures in other coun-
tries. These services can also be a part of Croatia’s
official development assistance.