The first Lithuanian National Strategy for Sustainable Development was adopted in 2003. Following the
review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and its renewal in 2006, in 2009, the renewed Lithuanian
National Strategy for Sustainable Development was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
In the renewed Lithuanian National Strategy for Sustainable Development, there was development
cooperation, sustainable consumption, and territorial development added. In this Strategy, national political
commitment to achieve sustainable development goals has been especially strong in the environmental quality
sector (in water, waste as well as landscape and biological diversity) and territorial development.
Implementing the strategic objectives of sustainable development, in Lithuania special attention was paid to
the decoupling of environmental impact from production growth and to the fact that, with the production
growth, the consumption of natural resources and environmental pollution as well as the release of greenhouse
gases into the environment increased much more slowly than production or did not increase at all. These
challenges of increasing production and service eco-efficiency have been implemented quite successfully.
During 2000-2008, the Lithuanian GDP increased by 77,1 per cent, and the final energy consumption
increased by 30,8 per cent. That means that energy consumption increased 2,5 times slower than production
and services, therefore the necessary energy amount to create 1 GDP unit decreased by 26,2 per cent. It is
worth mentioning that since 1990, energy consumption to create 1 GDP unit has decreased more than 3 times
and, according to this indicator, Lithuania almost matches the EU old-timers.
It is especially important that, with a rapid growth of economy, the amount of pollutants released into the air
did not increase, but even decreased by almost 10 per cent, therefore the release of pollutants into the air per 1
unit of created production decreased almost twice during this decade.
The national political commitments in water area are as follows: good quality of groundwater as well as rivers,
lakes, the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea; preserved great diversity of the water ecosystems; surface
water bodies suitable for recreational needs; drinking water meeting the safety and quality requirements and
available to the whole population of the country; to achieve a reduction in the pollution of surface water and
groundwater.
During the past five years, in the majority of settlements, new wastewater treatment plants have been built or
reconstructed in order to meet environmental requirements. Therefore about 89 per cent of wastewater was
treated to the required standard in 2009 in comparison with 14 per cent in 2000.
One of our strategic goals is to seek that 95 percent of Lithuanian population should have opportunities to be
connected to modern water supply and sewage infrastructure by 2015. About 73 per cent of population is
provided with good quality drinking water supply and about 68 percent of waste water treatment services. At
present there is a significant distinction between urban and rural areas, but many efforts are being made to
reach the goal. The EU funds provide the majority of resources to develop the necessary infrastructure to reach
the aforementioned goal. However, small water enterprises face difficulties with maintaining that
infrastructure; therefore the enlargement of water suppliers is being encouraged.
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The national political commitments in waste area are as follows: the development of the most socially,
environmentally and economically suitable system for the management of municipal, industrial and other
types of waste resulting from economic activities, implementation of waste hierarchy, reduction of waste
generation and its negative impacts on the environment and human health, ensuring rational use of waste
energy resources as well as raising awareness and education on the issues of waste management; the
establishment of the conditions necessary to develop a modern municipal waste management infrastructure
and hazardous waste management system, to expand the provision of public municipal waste management
services, to promote the waste management culture of the residents and to raise public eco-awareness.
However, the progress made in waste management is significant. The reform of municipal waste management
has been launched. Ten regional waste management centres have been set up, 11 regional landfills for nonhazardous
waste and other regional waste management infrastructure (collection sites for bulky waste, green
waste composting sites, waste transfer stations, etc.) have been constructed. Since the middle of 2009, the
disposal of non-hazardous waste has been allowed only in the new regional landfills, which comply with the
EU requirements. With a view to improving municipal waste management system in Lithuania, the EU
structural assistance for 2007-2013 is used to complete the closure of old landfills (the disposal of waste in
landfills, which fail to meet the environmental and public health safety standards, was prohibited from the
middle of 2009), ensuring installation of relevant waste collection and sorting infrastructure. A priority is
given to separate collection of specific waste flows, biodegradable waste management (composting, biogas
production, mechanical-biological treatment, etc), and, if appropriate, incineration of municipal waste. A
hazardous waste management system is being developed (installation of a hazardous waste incinerator and a
hazardous waste landfill). The management of taxable products, packaging, electrical and electronic
equipment, waste oils and end-of-life vehicles based on producers? responsibility is being facilitated.
Waste prevention is the main objective of the waste management policy. However, the progress has been
insufficient. The National Waste Prevention Programme with clearly identified waste prevention measures will
have been developed not later than by 2013. Waste recovery and recycling remain underdeveloped, and the
disposal of waste in landfills is still the cheapest method of waste management. Waste management efforts
will be focused on the implementation of the waste hierarchy. It is foreseen to establish economic measures
ensuring waste recycling and other kind of recovery prior to waste disposal, waste disposal must be the most
expensive waste management option. Municipalities are short of personnel to plan waste management more
effectively and to ensure supervision and control of the municipal waste management systems.
The national political commitments in territorial development are as follows: to ensure consistent territorial
development of the country, favourable conditions for social and economic development, and a good
environmental status throughout the national territory; to optimize the system of public and local authorities
and bodies as well as the distribution of their functions; to strengthen the local communities, to solve the
economic and social development issues of the problematic areas as soon as possible, and to stop their
depopulation processes.
The largest share of investments is going to the most urbanized regions, especially their centres. In economic
and social terms, these regions have enjoyed the fastest development, significantly widening the development
and human welfare gaps among the regions. The main reason for the social disparities among the country's
regions is inconsistent territorial economic development. The persisting territorial social disparities raise social
tensions, prevent solutions to social problems and stimulate the residents' migration to the cities as well as
abroad. In certain areas of Lithuania, the residents face serious social issues. This further diminishes the
economic development possibilities of the regions having such areas. New activities and services are
concentrated in the centres of the more advanced regions, in particular the capital Vilnius, at the same time
widening the gaps between the counties in terms of the comparative weight of their GDP contribution. This
trend is strengthened by the parallel accumulation of foreign direct investments. Regional centres with weak
economic potential do not offer adequate employment conditions or income augmentation opportunities to
change the situation of the surrounding residential areas (within a 50-70 km range). The growth of the regional
centre economies is too slow. Some regions are suffering from high unemployment. The territorial planning
process is protracted and complex, the preparation of territorial planning documents is too costly in terms of
time and resources.
By 2020, Lithuania plans to reduce the number of people experiencing poverty risks or material deprivation, or
living in jobless households from 997,5 thousand to 827,5 thousand, in total by 170 thousand people. This
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social poverty reduction target is defined in aggravation of people at risk of poverty and/or materially deprived
and/or living in households with zero or very low work intensity.
Another priority is to increase opportunities for socially vulnerable people to participate in the labour market.
All individuals, who are willing and able to work, should have the opportunity to do so (including disabled
persons, the elderly, long-term unemployed persons, etc.)
Currently the National Reform Programme is being developed at national level. This Programme will provide
formulation of the national target and measures on promoting social inclusion through poverty reduction.
Measures at local level will be planed according to this document.

The wider use of renewable energy sources (wind, sun, hydro, biomass and geothermal energy), the
development of small and micro cogeneration power plants and the broader use of biofuel in the energy and
transport sectors will make it possible to reduce the use of fossil fuel and the directly related air pollution and
to reduce significantly the amounts of greenhouse gases. The National Strategy for the Implementation of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change until 2012 indicates that the mission of the State is
to implement policies and measures such as: enhancement of energy efficiency in respective sectors of the
national economy; protection and enhancement of greenhouse gases sinks and reservoirs; reforestation and
afforestation; promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture in light of climate change considerations; research
on, and promotion, development and increased consumption of new and renewable forms of energy, of carbon
dioxide sequestration technologies and of advanced and innovative environmentally sound technologies;
encouragement of appropriate reforms in relevant sectors aimed at implementing policies and measures which
limit or reduce GHG emissions and others. In the period from 2008 to 2012, Lithuania will ensure an 8-percent
reduction of greenhouse gases emissions from the level of 1990, the base year in accordance with the
commitments laid down in the Kyoto Protocol. By 2020, the national strategic goals must be implemented in
the energy, transport, agricultural and other sectors and a 20-percent reduction of greenhouse gases emissions
from the 1990 level must be achieved.
In terms of sustainable development objectives, the National Strategy for the Development of Renewable
Energy Sources developed this year is especially important, which foresees that by 2020, 23 per cent of energy
needs will have been satisfied consuming local renewable energy sources.
Measures foreseen in the Lithuanian Forestry Policy and its Implementation Strategy (approved in 2003)
contribute to climate change mitigation. Those measures are as follows: preservation and increase of the forest
resources; rational, sustainable and continuous use of the forest recourses and increase of the forest
productivity. As a good example of how political support for critical issues was enhanced is the National
Programme on the Increase of the Forest Coverage (approved on 2003). As the result of the implementation of
this programme, actual increase in the forest area during the last seven years has been registered at 1.8 %.
Environment and health process in Europe, which now counts for 20 years of experience and is led by the
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, puts strong focus on co-operation and integration of
the environment and health sectors as well as other sectors, such as transport, agriculture, and education. It
also focuses on the most vulnerable population groups, such as children, the elderly and the poor, as well as on
the emerging issues related to climate change and health and environmental health inequalities. Children?s
environmental health risk was emphasized at ministerial conferences in Budapest (2004) and Parma (2010)
and was a strong support to stimulate a political decision on the adoption of the National Programme on
Children?s Health Promotion and other activities related to children safety and health.
At the beginning of 2009, Lithuania started to develop the Green Investment Scheme to implement carbon
trading regulation under Art 17 of the Kioto Protocol and the subsequent decisions. It was down to a wide
political support for using market mechanisms in ensuring financing of climate change projects.
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There has also been a growing participation in the international climate change negotiations. In October 2009,
Lithuania proposed institutionalisation of Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) trade, and this year the proposition
became one of the options in solving the AAUs surplus issue proposed by the EU in the international
negotiations.

Among Lithuania?s senior national policy makers, the predominant view of the three pillars of sustainable
development is that there are no difficult trade-offs among them and they are rather complementary.
The main objective of sustainable development in Lithuania is to achieve, by 2020, the development level of
the EU countries in 2003, according to the indicators of economic and social development as well as to the
efficiency in consumption of resources, and to stay within the EU's permissible limits, according to the
indicators of environmental pollution, while meeting the requirements of international conventions to
minimize environmental pollution and input into global climate change. In order to achieve these objectives, it
is necessary to base future development of the economy on advanced and more environment-friendly
technologies. Thus, a special emphasis is put on the design and implementation of technologies that are based
on scientific achievements and knowledge rather than on resource-intensive technologies.
Lithuania succeeded in making a great progress in increasing effective consumption of natural resources,
however, in terms of sustainable development, one of the most important problems in Lithuania is a very
ineffective use of human resources ? labour productivity is 2-2,5 times lower in Lithuania than in the EU oldtimers.
And this is not only an economy problem, whose main reason is a too slow introduction of advanced
technologies. Less than 5 per cent of total production is created using high technologies in Lithuania, i. e. 4-5
times less than in the EU-15. Only more rapidly introducing high and the most advanced, environmentallyfriendly
production technologies, preconditions will be created for the rapid growth of labour productivity and
production, not increasing a negative impact on the environment and possibilities will emerge for the rapid
growth of population incomes and for the increase in their welfare, as well as for the solution of social
problems, at the same time not impeding macroeconomic stability.

? To develop long-term strategies with a wide involvement of different actors.
? To promote introduction of most advanced environmentally friendly technologies, cleaner production
and pollution prevention methods enabling to reduce air pollution and input into the global climate
change.
? To provide financial support to the development of renewable energy sources (wind, solar, geothermal
energy, small-scale hydroenergy), economic incentives to promote use of biofuel for energy purposes
and combined heat and power production.
? To encourage renewal and modernization of vehicles fleet, public transport development, production
and use of ecologically clean and biological fuel, application of stricter environmental requirements to
road transport means.

To address unemployment:
1. Effective application of active labour market policy measures combined with psychological, social
and/or vocational rehabilitation services reducing the number of people who are suffering from the highest
degree of exclusion from the labour market;
2. Enhancement of the life-long learning system and insurance of a variety and accessibility of life-long
learning services;
3. Employee safety and health issues to be dealt with in an integrated mode, based on a thorough situation
analysis;
4. Insurance of a receptive and inclusive labour market and integration of gender equality and equal
opportunity aspects into the employment sphere;
5. Creation of the conditions necessary for reconciling family commitments and employment duties and
development of the infrastructure of social services;
6. Training of qualified workforce that is able to adjust to the market changes: organization of vocational
education with a preference to work with the latest technologies; promotion of participation of people,
especially members of the social exclusion groups, in the process of continuous education;
7. Application of methods for predicting medium and long-term qualification requirements and
enhancement of vocational guidance system;
8. Creation and development of a national qualification system and its infrastructure;
9. Through the development of a social dialogue, improvement of the legislation governing employment
relations, thus aiming for a balance between labour market flexibility and employment guarantees;
10. Building a labour market that is accessible to all, insurance of equal employment opportunities for men
and women as well as reconciliation of family and work commitments; support of job creation for the disabled
and unemployed as well as self-employment of the disabled, the unemployed and parents of big families;
11. Development of youth entrepreneurship;
12. Modernization of labour market institutions, enhancement of the systems of labour market monitoring
and management indicators, increase of the productivity of applied measures and services, and more rational
use of the funds;
13. Support for workforce mobility;
14. Reduction of incentives of illegal employment, effective prevention of illegal employment, and
reinforcement of the coordination of interinstitutional control work;
15. Measures promoting social responsibility of businesses;
16. Development of a network of vocational rehabilitation services for the disabled;
17. Through coordination of measures of the policies of employment, public health, education
and science, pensions and social partnership, prolongation of the working age of people and increase of
the participation of the elderly in the labour market;
18. Provision of job-seekers with access to high-quality training and vocational guidance; adoption of
and introduction of training and vocational guidance programmes for persons with poor education;
19. Enhancement of the system of providing life-long education services for adults;
20. Establishment of a system of regular monitoring of occupational safety and health condition at
work, intended for on-site collection of data about the working conditions of enterprises, bodies
and organizations;
21. Implementation of the Employee Safety and Health Strategy 2009-2012;
22. With the help of financial leverage, creation of favorable economic environment that would promote
job creation. Tax incentives and other direct means would benefit the growth of employment by creating
additional jobs.
To adapt to climate change:
1. Organization and coordination of the implementation of the National Strategy for the
Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change until 2012;
2. Development of a strategy for the national policy of climate change management and the plan
of its implementation measures for 2013-2020;
3. Regular update of the measures contained in the national strategic documents;
4. Promotion of the adaptation of the energy, industry, transport and agricultural sectors to
climate change;
5. Economic measures to promote the use of biological fuel as well as generation of electricity
and heat at cogeneration plants;
6. In order to ensure the implementation of the EU air quality improvement and climate change
reduction objectives, establishment of the national strategic objectives for the development of the sectors
of economy in line with the national limits for 2020 concerning the emissions of sulphur dioxide, oxides
of nitrogen, volatile organic compounds, ammonia and primary particulate matter (KD2,5).;
7.Adoption of the National Strategy for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources (in 2010);
8. Adoption of the national carbon budget under the Climate Change Strategy setting monitored and
reportable
goals for various ministries for greenhouse gas reductions;
9. Implementation of the Green Investment Scheme to ensure revenues to climate change projects.
To reverse the current loss of biodiversity and natural resources:
1. Implementation of measures for the protection of the valuable objects of landscape and biodiversity
in agrarian territories;
2. Support of environment-friendly forms of farming in meadows, pastures and wetlands with
significant natural value;
3. Development of nature management plans for the most sensitive areas of the European ecological
network
Natura 2000 and other protected areas in Lithuania or parts thereof and their implementation;
4. Building of sightseeing tourism paths and tracks (for biking, hiking, water recreation, motoring,
horse-riding, etc.) in the state parks, development of a system of sightseeing tourism paths, and organization of
ecological education campaigns;
5. Establishment of visitor centres in all state parks;
6. Implementation of river re-naturalization projects;
7. Encouragement of the owners and managers of agricultural land to make more active use of EU
assistance for afforestation;
8. Development of projects for forest recultivation and planting on the ecological-genetic basis and
forest planting with spontaneous reforestation;
9. Stimulation of nursery garden development in order to guarantee forest planting stock
quality and variety;
10. Implementation of the EU requirements in the field of coastline protection, integrated coastal zone
management, implementation of the Baltic Sea protection and management measures, and optimization of the
coastal land-use structure;
11. In the course of forming the European eco-network Natura 2000, identification of the areas of the
greatest significance in terms of biodiversity protection in Lithuania's territory of the Baltic Sea;
12. Development and implementation of projects for the expansion and management of natural and
subnatural areas performing the ecological and recreational functions of urbanized landscape;
13. Research into landscape and biological diversity;
14. Supplement of the updated general programmes of general secondary education with education
on the protection, management and rational use of nature and cultural valuable objects; recommendation to
include these topics into the content of study programmes as well as into the modules of non-formal
adult education;
15. Upgrade of the Lithuanian Strategy for Biological Diversity Preservation and its action plan
with the aim to integrate biodiversity protection into individual sectors of branches of economy;
16. Update of the National Environmental Protection Strategy, which envisages long-term
priorities for the environmental sector;
17. Selection of key forest habitats for the inclusion into the European ecological network Natura 2000;
conclusion of agreement with private forest owners regarding the protection of key forest habitats;
18. Completion of the formation of the European eco-network Natura 2000 and maximization of
its integration into Lithuanian protected areas;
19. Organization of ecological education seminars and sightseeing tours in protected areas;
20. Development and implementation of projects for the recultivation of landfills breaching the
environmental requirements as well as abandoned quarries;
21. Development of recommendations regarding the varieties of trees to be selected for forest
recultivation and planting, taking into consideration various environmental factors;
22. Adoption of river basin management plans (in 2010).
To address high energy consumption in the transport sector:
1. Development of the network of bicycle and pedestrian paths in towns, settlements as well as suburban and
national-significance roads;
2. Development of a more effective public transport infrastructure.
Lithuania also considers an important challenge to reduce health inequalities, which can be tackled by
strengthening public health services at municipal level, getting them closer to communities, and enhancing
community involvement in public health maintenance and promotion, by developing and implementing
national inter-sectorial programmes for priority public health issues, and by improving accessibility and
quality of health care services.
Success Factors
Lithuania successfully implements the UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development.
The National Sustainable Development Education Programme (for the period of 2007-2015 ) was adopted by
the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in 2007. The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible
for the coordination of the implementation of the programme. Other institutions responsible for the
implementation of the programme are: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Health,
Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Agriculture, municipalities and the Lithuanian Confederation of
Industrialists. The main objective of the programme is to promote sustainable development through formal,
non-formal and informal education with a particular emphasis on ESD competences. The plan of the
implementation of the National Sustainable Development Education Programme for the period of 2007-2010
was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in 2007. The above mentioned Programme
covers synergies between various policy processes relevant to ESD both at national and international levels. In
this context, the implementation of the UNECE Strategy for ESD is covered. ESD is also a part of the National
Sustainable Development Programme adopted by the Government of Lithuania in 2009.
ESD is also reflected in other national policy documents in the field of education, such as the
Conception of Cultural Education of Children and Young People and the Plan of Implementation of the
Conception for the period of 2008-2012 adopted by the Ministry of Education and Science in 2008, the
Curriculum for Primary Education, and the Curriculum for Basic Education.
The Conception addresses the interaction of cultural and artistic education of pupils, development and
traditions of cultural education, approaches towards the development of cultural competences also related to
ESD, and the organisation, opportunities and prospects of cultural education.
The Curriculum for Primary Education is based on holistic approach. ESD education is integrated into
the existing disciplines and should be developed as a social competence for gaining knowledge and
understanding social, natural and cultural environment as well as developing necessary skills and values. The
content of the Curriculum for Basic Education is in line with the concept of ESD, its objectives, principles,
and methodology.
There is a holistic approach of education quality assessment used in Lithuania. ESD is not excluded,
but integrated into all the educational processes and programmes.
Sustainable development education is included in vocational education and training programmes. 95
vocational training programmes were renewed and approved by the Ministry of Education and Science in
2010. Provisions for ESD are also included in national documents regulating higher education.
ESD is also a part of the initial and in-service training of educators, leaders and administrators of
education institutions. Various in-service training programmes addressing ESD for teachers, school
administrators and staff have been implemented.
There are many ongoing activities at schools including specific national projects related to ESD, such
as ?Green lesson,? ?Green kindergarten?, ?From knowledge towards responsibility,? etc.
There are many various informal and public awareness-raising activities, which address SD issues
performed by non-governmental and other organisations. Every year Lithuanian public institutions organise
various projects and activities in the field of environmental protection and thus promote sustainable way of
life. Every year the youth initiative ?Green generation? organises the Green Lesson in Lithuanian schools
during which ESD is widely promoted. Every spring the organisation ?Darom? (?Let?s Do?) organises actions
to clean surroundings in all Lithuania. Cleaning of nature is combined with educational programmes and
interactive trainings related not only to ecology, citizenship, but also to ESD aspects. The action ?Eco-school?
unites schools which actively participate in various environmental projects. Schools perform different
environmental competitions which reflect the principles of ESD.
Lithuania also takes part in various international networks and projects related to ESD. The Lithuanian
Young Naturalists Center coordinates different non-formal education projects, among those also addressing
ESD. The Center is the main coordinator of the Baltic Sea Project, Baltic 21, the GLOBE Programme, etc. The
Baltic Sea Project is an international network among schools for a better environment in the Baltic Sea area.
The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) programme brings together
schools from all over the world. It is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and
education programme. GLOBE's vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate
on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the Earth system in study and research about the
dynamics of the Earth's environment.
An Internet page dedicated to ESD is created and can be found at: http://www.pprc.lt/dv/?page_id=2
This Internet page gives access for educators, learners and researchers to major political documents related to
ESD both at national and international levels as well as ESD teaching materials approved by the Ministry of
Education and Science.

The topic ?green economy? can unite a number of actions and policy principles which support many global
policy aims. We consider that the most important sectors in building green economy in the context of
sustainable development and poverty eradication in Lithuania are waste recycling, the energy sector, the
construction and housing, as well as transport sectors.
Recently Lithuania has taken some important steps to make our economy greener. In 2009, the Government
approved the Economy Stimulation Plan providing 1.65 billion euro support for business. One of the five parts
of the Plan concerns the extension of energy efficiency of buildings. The Lithuanian Plan also foresees
investments in public transport infrastructure and support for energy generation from wind power.
In order to move the economy to a more sustainable way, in February 2010, the Lithuanian Innovation
Strategy for 2010-2020 was approved, seeking to form a creative society and to set up conditions to develop
business and innovations, which may lead to the development of clean technologies, future energy, welfare,
and the improvement of public health.
The possibility to finance green economy initiatives is foreseen in the Special Programme for Climate Change
in the Law on Climate Change. There are legal acts adopted in 2010 establishing a green investment scheme
(GIS), setting up the requirements for the trade in surplus assigned amount units (AAUs) on the international
market. The GIS in Lithuania is a complex of legal acts and administrative measures, creating a financial tool
where AAUs trade proceeds to the Special Climate Change Programme and are used to finance different
projects reducing greenhouse gases. The main perceived benefits of implementing the green investment
scheme are that projects will be developed and implemented either acquiring the greenhouse gases emission
reductions or building up the necessary framework for this process, i. e. projects related to energy
consumption effectiveness, renewable energy resources, and to climate change management.

- The main examples of green economy policies could be our Government expenditures on the development of
high-tech industry, solar technology and on the preparation of professionals in these areas. There is a strong
long-lasting education experience in the training of specialists in the sphere of biotechnology. Industrial
biotechnology, especially production of biofuel, has become a rapidly growing sector in Lithuanian economy
in the few past years. The biofuel production is closely linked with agricultural development influenced by the
increased employment in rural areas.

An example of our experience in greening our economy could be the process related to the modernization
programme of buildings, which is being currently implemented in Lithuania. In Lithuania, more than 60% of
the multi-apartment block houses have been built over the last four decades of the 20th century. Residential
houses built 15 or more years ago consume 15 per cent more energy per GDP unit comparing with
industrialized countries ? twice as much energy is consumed for the heating of old multi-apartment buildings
as it is in Scandinavian countries. The Programme for Modernization of Multi-apartment Buildings (2004)
implements the goal of the Lithuanian Housing Strategy (2004) to ensure effective use, maintenance,
renovation and modernization of existing housing as well as efficient energy use. The main goals of the
Programme are to increase the efficiency of energy consumption in multi-apartment buildings and to provide
state support for low-income households for housing renovation and modernisation. The implementation
period of this Programme corresponds to the implementation period of the Lithuanian Housing Strategy till the
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end 2020. Having implemented this programme, about 70% of multi-apartment buildings will have been
renovated; district heat and fuel input will have been reduced by 30% in the existing housing sector in
comparison to 2004.The National Energy Strategy (2007) foresees the renovation of residential houses,
including the insulation and upgrading of heat supply systems. It is planned to change up to 75% of district
heat supply networks by 2015. These investments on the one hand are designed to make it possible to
considerably reduce energy consumption, thus bringing about considerable savings on energy bills, and on the
other hand those investments will create more job opportunities.
The development of the renewable energy resources is an important factor facilitating the solutions of
problems related to climate change and at the same time strengthening the energetic independence of Lithuania
as well as contributing to greening the economy. At present 13 per cent of all the consumed energy in
Lithuania is generated from renewable energy resources (up to the end of 2010 this indicator should reach 16
per cent). Because energy generated out of renewable energy resources is more expensive than generated using
fossil fuels, the promotion of the development of renewable energy resources is supported by the state. The
Lithuanian national objective is to increase the part of the renewable energy resources in the total final energy
consumption up to 23 per cent, while making more favourable conditions for administrational regulation and
access to the infrastructure, involving local authorities in the implementation of the policy for renewable
energy resources, supporting scientific research and promoting the collaboration of science and business, as
well as improving public relations and education in the field of renewable energy resources.

Lithuania considers that relevant economic and fiscal measures play an important role in moving to green
economy. Encouraging polluters to reduce ambient air pollution, to comply with emission norms and to seek
rational consumption of natural resources, a number of economic instruments are used in Lithuania. Charges
on pollutants released into the atmosphere and water bodies from the stationary sources and charges on
pollutants released into the atmosphere from mobile pollution sources, charges on packaging and some
chargeable products every year generate about 25 million EUR, which are allocated in special programs and
could be used for the investment in environmental measures. Revenue generated from natural resource
consumption amounts to about 20 million EUR every year and is brought to the State budget.
Seeking to promote sustainable goods and services, Lithuania implements the Green Procurement Programme,
foreseeing that public sector institutions should apply environmental criteria to not less than 20 per cent of the
procurements in 2010 and not less than 25 per cent ? in 2011. The growing market for sustainable goods and
services stimulates transition to a green economy.
During the economic crisis, an increasing attention has been paid to organic farming: farmers? markets have
been established rapidly in Lithuania promoting the consumption of organic agricultural products on the one
hand and maintaining job places in the agricultural sector on the other hand. Those policies provide people
with jobs, give an opportunity for raising awareness, good quality health care, and healthy environment.
Consequently, poverty reduction can be expected.

One of the main challenges in greening the economy is to be much more efficient in the consumption of
natural recourses.
In recent years, energy amount generated in wind power plants and biomass incineration for energy generation
have been rising very rapidly.
One of the examples of challenges could be the following: on the one hand green economy promotes the major
employment, but on the other hand growing labour input may enhance production cost. So there is a risk to
create non-competing market in the world context.
Also, knowledge and development of high technology may be a reason for big differences in incomes among
people with high and low education, this leads to bigger social exclusion and differences.
Unfortunately there are no studies for Lithuania that identify success factors, challenges or risks associated
with green economy policies identified under Question 1.

Seeking to ensure coordination of sustainable development process at the highest level, a National
Commission on Sustainable Development chaired by Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania was formed
in 2000 in Lithuania. The Commission is composed of representatives of ministries, the President?s Office,
other institutions and public organizations. The National Commission on Sustainable Development must
examine biennial sustainable development reports that shall be submitted to the UN and EU institutions in
accordance with the prescribed procedure. These reports must be introduced to the public.
Special group of experts is working seeking to monitor the implementation of sustainable development and
perform more thorough analysis of on-going changes and causalities. Based on performed analysis, they
provide state institutions with suggestions and recommendations on improvement of the implementation of
sustainable development; participate in the development of sustainable development reports and other official
documents.
The focal point for Lithuania?s National Sustainable Development Council is Ms Vilija Augutavičienė,
Director of Economy and International Relations Department, Ministry of Environment of the Republic of
LIthuania, e-mail: v.augutaviciene@am.lt.