Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA), Mr Levan Davitashvili and Deputy Minister, Mr Solomon Pavliashvili attended the first plenary session of the circular economy assessment. In the course of the meeting, Inter-Agency Task Force under the Government of Georgia and the Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis” scrutinized aspects and challenges with regard to circular economy assessment in Georgia.  “Georgia has already set a very ambitious plan – develop the circular economy development strategy and action plan. We are currently developing target indicators. Throughout elaboration of the economic development policies, the new code of the waste management implies the first steps of the circularity. In parallel with the code, we have also cultivated an extended consumer responsibility and an entailing principles, which will boost several regulations, that will foster circular approach to waste; to ensure accrual of materials and processing of these” – Minister Davitashvili stated.  The respective assessment program has designed tough financial support of the Swedish Government and aims to raise awareness among the interested parties with regard to circular economy. The program anticipates to issue recommendations to various groups, such as – financial institutions and business circles with regard to accelerating cultivation of circular economy principles at various arenas of the country. The plenary was organized by the Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis” within the campaign “Keep Georgia Tidy”, in frames of the project “Circular economy assessment in Georgia”, which is  implemented through support of the MEPA together with local stakeholders, the Georgian Society of Nature Explorers “Orchis”; and Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth-Georgia, in cooperation with LEPL Environmental information and Education Centre, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia, Waste Management Company and though the financial assistance of the Government of Sweden. The meeting was attended by the Eric Iles, Head of the Swedish Agency for Development Cooperation in Georgia, Mr Dariusz Edward Prasek, an independent expert and member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Circular Economy, as well as Chairman of the “Orchis” and Project Manager of the “Keep the Georgia Tidy” project, Ms Mariam Kimeridze. The meeting also enjoyed presence of various staffers representing the MEPA’s agencies and private sector. 

The State has embarked on a tremendous path toward integrating environmental and agrarian education matters at public schools. The respective goal significantly complements raising future generations with decent values, which can tackle global challenges and form into the society that pursues economic prosperity, environmental protection and social welfare.Through deployment of the program – “Environmental and Agrarian Education at Schools” has launched a tremendous process, which has recruited 50 000 teachers in the matters of environmental protection and agriculture matters through the Ministry-developed textbook. The latter textbook will enable 500, 000 pupils will gain basic education on crucial matters, such as sustainable development, biodiversity and water resources protection, softening climate change and natural threats, protection of air from pollution, waste management and actions against desertification, agriculture, food safety and quality.

For the next 10 years, Georgia will accelerate marketing efforts toward strategic export markets with regard to Georgian wine. Moreover, Georgian wine will be supported as a separate category for boosting massive sales on strategic markets. As an effort to diversifying export markets, new locations will be targeted: South Korea, Canada, countries of Scandinavia and etc. As an effort of coordination with the wine sector – by 2030, upon successful deployment of marketing actions and sustainability of Georgian wine, Georgia will gain 1 billion USD through wine and alcoholic beverages based on grapes. The National Wine Agency has been successfully diversifying markets for Georgian wine at strategic export countries – United States of America, Poland, Great Britain, China, Baltic states, Japan and Germany. Georgian wine has also been represented at each and every major international exhibition or festival.Since 2012, as an effort for promoting Georgian wine, Georgia has increased funding from 1,5 to 9 million GEL. The latter efforts have resulted into increasing export of Georgian wine in 300 %, since 2012. In 2020, Georgia exported 92, 4 million GEL to 60 countries, as a comparison to 2012, when the data stood at 23 million bottles to 43 countries.