Romanian Gov't approves national programme regarding the environmental performance of public authorities and institutions

Romania's Government approved the National Programme regarding the environmental performance of the activities of public authorities and institutions - an essential step for the alignment to the recommendations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and for reducing the impact of administrative activities over the environment, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (MMAP) informed.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, the programme seeks both to align Romanian administration to the international best practices and to gradually reduce the impact over the environment generated by the activities of public institutions.

At the same time, the document establishes clear and measurable objectives, including: limiting water consumption in public administration offices to a maximum of 6.4 cubic meters per employee per year; reducing and optimizing energy consumption, with institution-specific targets; cutting office waste to under 200 kg per employee per year while promoting recycling and reuse; reducing office paper consumption to no more than 15 A4 sheets per employee per day, with at least 80% of the paper used being recycled or eco-certified; organizing all events and meetings in the spirit of sustainability, with at least 50% held online; and lowering the carbon footprint by minimizing unnecessary travel, especially by air and using modern video-conferencing tools.

Moreover, the programme introduces an annual monitoring mechanism, requiring each authority to draft action plans and performance reports to be submitted to the National Agency for the Environment and Protected Areas. Based on these, the MMAP will inform the Government regarding the progress and possible implementation delays.

"Romania is thus proving its commitment to observe the international recommendations in terms of green governance and actively contribute to the global sustainable development goals and combat climate changes. Moreover, the measures proposed do not entail additional costs for the public budget, being integrated in the current activity of the institutions. Adopting this Programme represents a major step in Romania's accession process to the OECD and a strategic instrument for strengthening the responsibilities of public institutions in support of sustainable development and environment protection," the release showed.

The OECD provides a rigorous framework for assessing and improving environmental policies through clear indicators, comparative analyses and country-specific recommendations. For Romania, this framework means enhancing the quality of public policies by aligning with international best practices, gaining access to expertise and comparative data to support strategic decisions and improve transparency and accountability in the management of natural resources and public services.