Romania is taking tangible action toward its green transition through sustainable infrastructure projects, public\u2011private partnerships and green bonds. Experts, government officials and business leaders have gathered today at the CES Bucharest ESG Conference, to present progress and identify solutions through which the public and private sectors can collaborate to build a sustainable and competitive economy.<\/p>\n
In 2023, Romania established its Green Bond Framework with support from the World Bank and, to date, two green bonds have been issued, according to the representatives of the Ministry of Finance, present at the conference. More than 10.8 billion lei has been raised so far, funding green projects financed exclusively from the state budget. \u201cWith green bonds, Romania not only attracts international capital, but also succeeds in funding sustainable state projects in an extremely challenging fiscal environment,\u201d<\/em> said Diana Popescu, Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Finance.<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Bucharest City Hall is investing heavily in green public transportation and district heating: 100 new trams, 100 electric buses, and 100 trolleybuses are already in service, and the goal is to have 1,500 modern, non\u2011polluting vehicles by 2030. The capital\u2019s green budget for 2025 is 1 billion lei.<\/p>\n Additionally, the city authorities are preparing to take over the district heating networks – an investment estimated at minimum 700 million lei, with 30% paid upfront and the remainder spread over 5 years. \u201cIf we want clean air in Bucharest, we must convince people that fully green public transport by 2030 is the right alternative, and we must prioritize non\u2011polluting vehicles,\u201d<\/em> stated Stelian Bujduveanu, interim Mayor of the Capital<\/strong>, at the CES ESG Conference.<\/p>\n The Bucharest Stock Exchange also plays a key role in financing green projects. \u201cThe big question is how much we are willing to pay to be sustainable. The Bucharest Stock Exchange provides the framework through which the private sector can fund public projects, but success depends on the state\u2019s stability and predictability as a partner,\u201d<\/em> said Radu Hanga, Chairman of the Board, Bucharest Stock Exchange<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A successful public\u2013private partnership highlighted at the event was the Deposit-Return System, implemented and managed by RetuRO. Romania now has the largest fully integrated deposit\u2011return system in the world, which, in just two years since its launch, is already collecting over 80% of beverage packaging placed on the market and delivering it to recyclers. \u201cWe have shown that Romania can become a model in Europe through collaboration among producers, retailers, authorities, and citizens,\u201d<\/em> emphasized Gemma Webb, CEO of RetuRO<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Transforming consumer behavior and reducing food waste was another central theme. For example, in recent years, retailers have developed mechanisms by which near\u2011expiry products are collected and turned into compost or biogas, creating a circular economy chain. This not only lessens environmental impact, but also involves citizens, encouraging them to take an active role in sustainability and to understand their direct role in preserving resources. Indeed, people\u2019s active participation in sustainable solutions, such as the Deposit\u2011Return System, represents a crucial step toward Romania\u2019s green transition goals, proving that sustainability projects can succeed when citizens, businesses and authorities work together.<\/p>\n Romania is navigating a complex transition toward a green economy. Tools such as green bonds, public\u2011private partnerships, or capital market instruments, paired with local initiatives like zero\u2011pollution public transport and circular waste management, are key elements by which central and local authorities, together with the private sector, can drive sustainable development, participants concluded at the event.<\/p>\n *This is a press release.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Romania is taking tangible action toward its green transition through sustainable infrastructure projects, public\u2011private partnerships and green bonds. Experts, government officials and business leaders have gathered today at the CES Bucharest ESG Conference, to present progress and identify solutions through which the public and private sectors can collaborate to build a sustainable and competitive economy. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6853\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofero.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A Successful Model: The Deposit\u2011Return System<\/h3>\n