Environmental awareness is a concept that has gained popularity in recent years, as it facilitates the general public in the improvement of their knowledge of environmental matters in their region specifically, as well as on the planet as a whole. I wholeheartedly agree with the notion that environmental awareness needs to be forwarded, as informed people are far more likely to factor environmental concerns into their decision-making processes. 

Many countries have already understood the importance of integrating the promotion of environmental awareness into their policies, and have shown positive results in doing so. In this report, I would like to showcase efforts and initiatives that have been presented in Montenegro to promote environmental awareness. I believe these measures to be essential to implement in the country, as its economy relies quite heavily on tourism, with nature being one of the aspects that attracts visitors to the territory.

I find one of the most inspiring initiatives to be the campaign to raise awareness on single-use plastics pollution in Montenegro, which was carried out in 2022-2023 by the Green Home NGO. It included raising awareness of the private sector about the sources and consequences of plastic pollution, monitoring the public sector activities, lobbying for single-use plastics bans, and a campaign for public awareness. 

However, Montenegro does not only rely on NGO initiatives to promote environmental awareness. The government had recently approved new education requirements, with students now being required to learn about the environment starting from the second grade of school. This step ensures that new generations of citizens grow up to be knowledgeable on the matter and work towards improving the ecological situation of the region. In 2018, 17 Montenegrin educational institutions were awarded Green Flag certificates, verifying that they are now accredited for their approach to ecological sustainability in education.

These examples are, of course, not exhaustive, as more and more initiatives have been emerging in the country. However, I found them interesting to present, as they showcase the potential of both NGO campaigns and direct government policies in addressing the challenge of raising environmental awareness.

Sources:

https://www.greenhome.co.me/en/projects/raising-awareness-on-single-use-plastic-pollution-in-montenegro/

https://www.ecoschools.global/news-stories/2018/10/9/montenegro-gets-its-first-green-flag-schools