Speech by Maria Suokko, UNDP Kosovo Resident Representative

(Subject to changes at delivery)

Dear Mr. Rukiqi, Dear Pia, Dear Ulrika, representatives of the business community,

It is an honour and a pleasure to be here with all of you this evening!

The SDGs are a call to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face. Challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.

To address the development challenges that we are faced with, working in isolation is not an option. Neither is business-as-usual. Governments and development partners cannot ignore the potential that the private sector has in coming up with new, innovative solutions. It is the time to think out of the box, establish alliances and co-create solutions.

The SDGs offer the private sector a solid framework to pursue profit and growth - while preserving the planet and promoting human development. Private sector plays such an important role as an engine of economic growth and job creation. It provides goods and services, generates much needed tax revenues. Private sector has a key role to play in addressing climate change.

Tonight, I would like to focus on climate change and how it affects business community. SDG 13 calls us to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. It calls us to reduce our carbon footprint - and emphasizes the need to invest in renewable energy.

The world can no longer wait as it is threatened with a massive ecological and humanitarian crisis. People’s lives and livelihoods are threatened by food and water scarcity, extreme weather events and massive migration. Climate change poses a risk not only for the vulnerable individuals – but for the whole world economy and welfare.

How does this translate to Kosovo?

As Kosovo’s economy is growing, we need to pay more attention to the quality of the growth. The impact it has on environment and on people’s lives.

According to the World Bank estimations, in Kosovo, 760 people die prematurely due to air pollution every year. The economic impacts are significant.

It is estimated that only half of Kosovo population benefit from waste collection services. This means that a huge amount of waste is burned in backyards, near rivers or illegal landfills. This contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

And, of course, given that Kosovo is heavily relying on coal for energy production (at 97%), there is an urgent need to find alternative and clean ways of producing energy. With an average of 278 sunny days and 2,000 hours of sun per year, solar power would seem like a good option.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention on what UNDP is doing in this regard. We are transforming our own policies and structures to be able to better engage with the private sector, and to promote partnerships that benefit all. We are piloting new financing instruments. I will provide a few examples.

In Lebanon, with support of UNDP, blockchain technology is used to promote reforestation and protection of Lebanon's ancient cedar forests. The CedarCoin allows for the diaspora to invest in revitalizing Lebanon’s forests – and it also provides promising opportunities for the economy as well as for agriculture and health.

In March, UNDP - together with mayors from eight countries around the world – launched an initiative to boost financing for solar energy in cities. The Solar Mayors platform connects the cities around the topic of energy transition. As an online community, the platform provides an opportunity for Mayors to learn about the latest trends in the industry, share best practices, and collectively promote citizen engagement.

In this region, there are a number of national business platforms that have been set up (Business for Goals Platform in Turkey, SDG business platform in North Macedonia) to collectively explore possible areas of cooperation and get into action. We see partners everywhere willing to work together towards innovative solutions. I am sure Kosovo is no exception!

At the end, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families very happy holidays. And invite you to make 2020 the year in which we will work together to find innovative, climate-friendly, sustainable solutions for Kosovo.

Thank you!