Conference in Tbilisi “Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) for Better Enterprises, Cleaner Environment and Green Economy”

TBILISI, 26 March 2015 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) hosted a conference in the Georgia capital, Tbilisi, on “Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) for Better Enterprises, Cleaner Environment and Green Economy”.

RECP applies preventive environmental management practices and total productivity methods to improve productive use of materials, energy and water and reduce the generation of waste, effluents and emissions.

During the conference, 10 Georgian enterprises shared their experiences in applying RECP, and 10 national experts received a UNIDO RECP award.

“The company assessments revealed good potential for improving resource productivity and environmental performance of Georgian small and medium sized enterprises,” said Malkhaz Adeishvili, National RECP Coordinator.

Asphalt Plant 1 achieved annual savings of EUR 21,000 on energy and materials with an investment of EUR 14,000, and Kindzmarauli Corporation, one of the leading wineries, identified ways to save 25 per cent on water and 18 per cent on energy use.

Representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection as well as from the business sector discussed opportunities to further foster RECP in Georgia.

“UNIDO will further support the implementation of RECP in the participating enterprises and provide training courses and demonstration of best practices,” said René Van Berkel, Chief of UNIDO’s Industrial Resource Efficiency Unit. He added that UNIDO also plans to work with selected municipalities in creating RECP clubs that will support small businesses in adopting RECP.

The conference was organized with the financial support of the European Union’s Partnership for Environment and Growth (EaP GREEN), which supports the governments of Georgia and other countries of the Eastern Partnership – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine – in greening their economies.

UNIDO’s RECP demonstration component is partly financed by the Government of Slovenia and the Development Bank of Austria.

Source

Demonstration component "Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production" of "Greening Economies in the European Union's Eastern Neighbourhood" (EaP GREEN) programme funded by the European Union.