As Julije Domac/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of April, 2020, could we have ever expected this? The crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus is shaking Croatia and the Croatian economy, as well as that of the whole world. We’re currently living in times that would otherwise be really difficult to even begin to imagine.
The coronavirus crisis we’re now in is testing absolutely everything that matters most to us and that we simply take for granted. This includes the mere functioning of the Republic of Croatia as a country. Not only has the functioning of the state been called into question, the function of the Croatian health system has, too. A test of our European solidarity of cooperation is also now heating up. However, the crisis of the generation is also the opportunity of the generation. The need and the energy to finally change Croatia for the better, the need to hit the reset button on the country, has never been clearer.
The recovery of the Croatian economy.
In this tremendously difficult situation, we’re also facing another crisis – the shock to the Croatian economy and the European economy as a whole is currently more severe than the 2008 crisis. More than ever, we need a strong and coordinated economic policy response, a clear set of priorities and the launching of investments.
The recovery of the Croatian economy will only come from massive investments to protect and create jobs and support all businesses and companies, all Croatian cities and regions, and all sectors suffering economic damage as a result of this suddenly stalled economic activity.
New investments should also stimulate a new Croatian and European economic growth model – that model should be much more resilient, much more protected, more sovereign and more inclusive. All these demands lie in the idea of a green economy. The transition to a climate-neutral economy can quickly secure jobs, growth and improve the way of life for all residents of the Republic of Croatia, the European Union, Europe, and around the world. It would also contribute to building a more resilient society.
New technologies are already here, in 2019, as much as 72 percent of all investments in the energy sector were related to renewable energy. In the last decade, tremendous progress has been made in developing new technologies and creating a totally new value chain. Just ten years ago, zero emission vehicles were just a prototype, today they’re everywhere on our roads.
Just a decade ago, wind energy was three times as expensive as it is today, and solar power was as many as seven times more expensive. Ten years ago, we didn’t even deal with the energy renovation of buildings because it seemed expensive and entirely unnecessary to us.
The political will for change is clearly being expressed today. Projects such as the European Green Compact and numerous national plans for carbon-free development clearly define the path that Croatia should take – and boldly. Contrary to some expectations, the COVID-19 crisis didn’t distract other EU member states from advocating a more green agenda, quite on the contrary.
The recent initiative of 12 EU member states led by Denmark, Germany and France calls for a ”green recovery” as a key strategy for the times of crisis we’re currently living in. The European Commission has also launched a public consultation on its Renewed Sustainable Financing Strategy, part of a 3 trillion euro package for a greener economy by the year 2030.
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