The Batumi Initiative on Green Economy (BIG-E) is a set of voluntary commitments by interested countries and organisations to undertake green economy actions. BIG-E serves to operationalize the Pan-European Strategic Framework for Greening the Economy over the period 2016-2030. Taken together, the Strategic Framework and BIG-E provide countries and stakeholders from the pan-European region with a road map to speed up the transition to a green economy. In total, over 30 countries and organisations have submitted more than 100 commitments to the BIG-E and pledges will continue to be made until 2018. Using the filters on the right of this page, you can browse through and learn more about each of the voluntary commitments made.
Italy commits to improve and promote the Minimum Environmental Criteria (MEC) in public procurement for supplies of products, services and works.
Italy commits to the preparation of a catalogue of environmentally harmful subsidies and environmentally favourable subsidies.
Germany commits to improving material resource efficiency through a dedicated strategy called the German Resource Efficiency Programme (ProgRess). The programme was adopted by the German government in February 2012 (ProgRess I) and updated in February 2016 (ProgRess II).
Germany commits to establishing the International Sustainable Collaborative Centre (ICS3). The ICS 3 intends to support the global breakthrough of Sustainable Chemistry.
Germany commits to establishing methods for economic valuation of environmental damage and the provision of best-practice cost rates for drivers and impacts of environmental damage.
Germany commits to helping consumers to better understand the environmental and social impacts of their consumption through the German National Programme for Sustainable Consumption.
Poland commits to protect forests against threats arising from climate change especially in land retention and erosion prevention in lowlands and mountainous areas.
Poland commits to protecting forests against threats arising from climate change especially in land retention and erosion prevention in lowlands and mountainous areas. The commitment will be implemented within the II Priority Axis of the Infrastructure and Environment Programme.
Croatia commits to implement measures from its 2015-2017 Green Public Procurement (GPP) Action Plan. Croatia further commits to a new GPP Action Plan for the period of 2017-2020.
Hungary commits to expanding the management of food waste in line with EU Circular Economy Program and Sustainable Development Goals.
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine commits to develop an action plan on introducing resource efficient and cleaner production into manufacturing and other economic sectors of Ukraine within the Strategy of the Industrial Development.
The Netherlands commits switching to 100 percent emissions-free busses. This commitment will reduce CO2 emission for the whole society including the mobility and the transport sector. The Association of Provincial Authorities and the metropolitan regions have agreed that their tendering procedure for bus concessions will include the requirement that all buses are zero-emissions vehicles. A further requirement is that by no later than 2025, the energy that powers the buses must be generated completely sustainably by solar panels or wind turbines in the region.
UN Environment commits to support countries in the implementation of sustainable public procurement (SPP). Specifically, UN Environment will support countries to promote and implement sustainable public procurement through Ten Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (SCP), Programme on Sustainable Public Procurement. The 10 Year Framework Programmes (10YFP) is led by UNEP and co-led by Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI).