The Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro, in cooperation with the EU Info Centre, the Municipality of Nikšić and the local NGO sector, organised tree-planting in Trebjesa to mark the Week of Climate Diplomacy.

“We are symbolically taking ‘action,’ which along with ‘ambition’ is the central theme for EU climate diplomacy in 2021. Both ambition and action are what the EU wants to showcase with its Green Deal, its Climate Law and the latest set of policy proposals – the goal is to achieve at least 55% emission reduction by 2030 as an intermediate step towards the EU’s climate neutrality target by 2050,” said EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa, during the planting.

Ambassador Popa planted the first seedlings, together with the President of the Municipality of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, and representatives of the local NGO sector. Over 100 participants gathered to plant fir, cedar and birch seedlings, provided by the EU Info Centre in an area which was recently affected by forest fires.

Popa noted that in the last 13 years the EU has donated more than €40 million to help Montenegro to protect its environment. In Nikšić, Popa learned about the impact that this support has had – for example, a representative of the NGO FORS Montenegro said that his organisation is implementing an EU project procuring underground waste containers and a modern waste collection vehicle.