Skopje, 20 February 2025 (MIA) - First Deputy PM and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Izet Mexhiti, addressed Thursday's closing event within the project "Building capacity towards sustainable human capital development in North Macedonia", implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the National Designated Authority for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) - the Office of the Prime Minister.

"Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time. To effectively address such challenges, we must invest in human capital - our collective ability to adapt, innovate and build resilient societies. In this regard, we are finalizing the draft Law on Climate Action, which incorporates, among other, issues of climate education and technology transfer," said Mexhiti. 

Participants in the event presented key results and achievements within the project, whose focus in recent months has been working on ways to strengthen capacities to deal with climate change in the sectors of health, education and social inclusion.

"The project was aimed at providing support for institutions to be more prepared and effective when it comes to dealing with climate change and sustainable development," said the event. 

Thursday's event also discussed the creation of new "green jobs", which will give young people the opportunity to work in sectors that are up-to-date with the latest climate trends.

Minister of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, Fatmir Limani, said it was particularly encouraging that the project has laid the foundations to promote green jobs and social inclusion policies.

"In this context, it is important to point out that the national Action Plan to support the development of green, climate-smart, gender sensitive, and inclusive employment across the key economy sectors in the country, contains specific measures to adapt the labour market to the green transition," the Minister added. 

Dame Dimitrovski, Advisor to the Prime Minister, stressed that climate change is high on the government's agenda, noting that the education, social protection and healthcare sectors are recognized as key in the green agenda.

"Relevant institutions will implement action plans including key activities in dealing with climate change that were developed as part of this project. We invest in promoting human capital and our commitment is that the people in these institutions feel these projects and activities as their own," Dimitrovski added.

GIZ Office Skopje project manager, Mark Barrett, said one third of the portfolio is actually implementation of projects that contribute, both at the national and regional levels, to adapting the agriculture and transport sectors, decarbonization of the energy sector, promoting the energy efficiency of public buildings and flood management, as well as strengthening the private sector, which plays a key role in the green transition.

Photo: MIA