Future Perfect

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ustainable

cities

ing in multiple vulnerabilities of the poor. As building work was not

controlled by adequate planning procedures, it often took place in areas

prone to flooding. The new Law:

• Brings multiple benefits in terms of more transparent and

efficient legalization procedures, instalment-based collection of

unpaid communal charges and – in accordance with the Vienna

Declaration – provision of alternative accommodation for owners

of informal settlements where these are their primary housing and

will have to be removed during the regularization process

• Means a wide societal consensus across all Montenegrin citizens is

necessary to ensure maximum efficiency in engaging all available

capacity with the main goals being to improve the quality of

environment, land and life conditions, infrastructure in areas

of existing informal settlements and, in an equitable manner,

to contribute to sustainability, static and security factors in the

housing sector.

Tackling the energy consumption of informal settlements is challenging

to implement. Assuming tens of thousands of existing informal objects

have a similar average energy consumption profile to regular houses, it

is estimated that the informal housing sector accounts for over a quarter

of Montenegro’s residential energy consumption and seven per cent of

the country’s energy-based greenhouse gas emissions. Informal housing

is further characterized by relatively high energy poverty and although

systematic data is scarce, some observations suggest that up to 40 per

cent of people living in informal housing do not have access to sufficient

energy services to ensure a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their

families. To resolve these issues, the planned strategy includes innova-

tive cutting-edge solutions and formalization to integrate

climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction,

with an objective of scaling up to a full national territory.

The main solution relies on designing a programme that

uses energy efficiency and disaster risk reduction as incen-

tives for both households and government to address the

impacts of illegal construction. This will result in sustain-

able revenues for local and national government, better

living standards and purchasing power for households,

along with pollution and disaster risk reductions. Pilot

projects are expected to be implemented by 2015.

Rio+20 opportunity for action

Since 2002, Montenegro has been continuously working on

strengthening the internal mechanism for ensuring meas-

ures and principles in its sustainable development strategy

are fully respected and that economic progress and growth

are followed by equally high social and environmental

standards. An important part of those efforts focuses on

creating an adequate institutional framework that encour-

ages multi-stakeholder dialogue, intrasectoral cooperation

and integrative planning. In this context, Montenegro sees

the Rio+20 Summit as an important opportunity to further

reform its national structure and adapt to the new and

emerging challenges the world is facing. In defining national

solutions, Montenegro remains committed to regional and

international cooperation as core values and operational

principles needed to move to the future we want.

Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development opening the first Solar Station for Electrical Bikes in Montenegro (wooden construction with solar

panels behind). Member of the Council joining all generations of citizens participating in the cycling ride organized to promote alternative transport and the use of

renewable energy sources

Image: NGO ADP ZID