PM vows commitment to “intensive reforms” to ensure better environmental protection

The Georgian government “remains committed” to continuing “intensive reforms” to ensure better protection of the environment and biodiversity, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday at the Mission Life movement - Lifestyle for the Environment forum in India.

In his remarks at the event, Garibashvili said the government was committed to national and international goals in climate protection, and had improved environmental assessment systems.

He also said authorities had introduced more effective public participation mechanisms at the early stages of environmental decision-making, in a bid to strengthen the national environmental management system.

Georgia welcomes and fully supports the timely global initiative launched by [Indian PM] Narendra Modi, which promotes the establishment of an ecologically conscious lifestyle, focusing on the principle of wise and purposeful use of natural resources” he told the forum.

“In this regard, we have already taken important steps to meet our international obligations, as well as to fulfil the obligations assumed under the [2014-signed] association agreement with the European Union”, Garibashvili said.

The PM stressed his government had recently implemented “major reforms” in the field of air protection to improve its quality.

“In order to eliminate the negative consequences of climate change and in accordance with the Paris Agreement, Georgia has successfully renewed the document established at the national level, which defines the new 2030 strategy of climate change and the action plan for mitigation measures”, he continued.

I am proud to announce that our country remains committed to the idea of continuing intensive reforms to ensure better protection of the environment and biodiversity, its national and international goals in the field of climate protection. I firmly believe that together we can achieve a common goal and save our planet”, Garibashvili concluded.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, United Nations secretary general Antonio Gutierrez, British prime minister Liz Truss, French president Emmanuel Macron, Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas and Argentine president Alberto Fernandez also addressed participants of the forum.