Chairman of Council of Ministers at the 6th Creative Leadership Summit in New York

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of B-H Dr Nikola Špirić took part at the 6th Creative Leadership Summit in New York, where, within the Environment, Management and Action Panel, he pointed out that B-H is situated in an area very susceptible to climate changes. 

These changes, according to him, are manifested and will do so even more, in an increase of both summer and winter temperatures, changes in precipitations regime, floods and droughts in places where such occurrences used to be rare.

In his address, Chairman Špirić said that fight against uncontrolled emission of hot house gases must be a priority aim. He stressed that it is only though a diligent work and dialogue that a common goal can be reached, and that is a full control over hot house gas emissions from all its sources.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers pointed out that under the Kyoto Agreement in force, only a slightly over one quarter of total hot house gas emissions are control at global level, and that such situation should be changed in the interest of all.

“From Poznan, though Copenhagen and Cancun, painstaking negotiations are taking place for arriving at a new, post-Kyoto Agreement. We are convinced that it is only a dialogue and continuous negotiations that can lead us to reaching the aim – a new agreement, for the post-Kyoto period”, Špirić assessed. He said that in the intervention, many concrete actions should take place in order to decrease the current level of hot house gas emissions, which would have a positive impact on the defined aim, which is to prevent the global average temperature increase of over 2° C degrees.

Chairman Špirić especially underlined that a need for an appropriate find allocation for promotion of this aim, defined under the Copenhagen Agreement, especially in developed countries, as in those less developed and developing countries in the world. “Funds for these purposes should be available as soon as possible and to all in need of them, and free form bureaucratic barriers”, Špirić said.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of B-H expressed his support to the ongoing efforts towards developing a post-Kyoto period agreement, expressing his hope that reaching such agreement would contribute to efforts invested in hot house gas emissions. “From our side, we will do everything to implement properly all our obligations in respect to international commitments that we have took, with due care taken of global, regional and national interests”, Špirić stressed.

“We know that the issue of climate changes is not purely an environment protection problem, but it is also economic social and political problem, and we are aware of the fact that the current crisis is simultaneously both a development chance and challenge for developing countries, such as B-H is, to move forward towards a green economy which, among other things, presumes the energy efficacy in production, sustainable spending, increased use of renewable sources of energy, and less exploitation of non-renewable natural resources... ”, said Chairman Špirić.

According to Chairman Špirić, B-H has a great potential for use of renewable sources of energy, and a lot of space for a more effective spending of energy in the current systems and facilities.

“In its European Integrations processes, B-H has signed several agreements in the energy and environment protection sectors, taking up a number of obligations, so the efforts are being made to fulfil these obligations, said the Chairman of the Council of Ministers. He also highlighted the importance of education, knowledge promotion and cooperation with business sector, expressing the determination of B-H to do all necessary to adopt global trends and continue to fulfil its obligations, using the development chances offered by these processes.

He informed the Summit of a Decision of the Council of Ministers to set-up a body responsible for implementation of the Clean Development System under Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Changes. “Bosnia and Herzegovina invests, and will always invest, maximum efforts, including all resources available, to establish an integrated environment protection system, as soon as possible, which would, hopefully, get incorporated into and become a part of the European Integral Environment Protection System”, said Špirić.

“A constructive approach to this global issue certainly overrides competences of individual countries, for no single country, no matter how powerful, can respond alone, to environment protection requirements, which drives us to view the planet which we live on and of which we live, from a different prospective. In any case, it will be no longer a prospective of a selfish interest, but rather a prospective of sustainable development, i.e. survival of future generations, with a consideration taken of survival of the overall life on Earth”, warned Chairman Špirić.

At the end of his address, he said that in the future work, B-H authorities will be fully oriented towards a regional cooperation, because it is the best and fastest way for arriving at a common goal.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of B-H took part at the 6th Creative Leadership Summit in New York, on Tuesday, September 20th, at the invitation of the Luis Blouin Foundation and UN Office for Partnerships.

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