The COVID-19 Pandemic has had deep impacts on businesses across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been especially vulnerable to the negative economic impacts of the pandemic, challenging the ability for entrepreneurialism and inclusive economic growth. Yet, when properly supported, SMEs hold the potential to be on the frontline of the green transition, which in turn ensures that the benefits of sustainable changes are experienced by all.  As part of the EU co-financed project: “COVID-19 Investment Response in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU4BusinessRecovery)”, this project aims to support the operational continuity of SMEs in the wood and metal sectors through strategic Green Recovery Interventions. CENER21 acts as technical partner by providing support across 3 levels of scope: businesses (micro), meso-level institutions, and macro-level government institutions.

At the micro level, the project supports SMEs in developing and piloting green business models. Green business models incorporate sustainable and circular practices into operations, such as renewable energy, waste management, and resource and energy efficiency measures. In doing so, they capitalize on the joint environmental and economic benefits of such initiatives. Providing support to SMEs to develop green business ideas not only ensures they will have a competitive edge in the business environment, but also allows them to bring their unique perspectives and strengths towards building a green economy in Europe. The supported pilot companies received tailored support in developing and implementing green business models. Lessons learned from pilot projects are shared on the Foreign Trade Chamber’s sub-webpage, which was developed with GIZ funding to further advance the green transition.

At the meso-level, CENER 21 works with institutions to ensure and facilitate public private dialogue on the green economy. This includes the preparation of guiding documents on the green economy, such as guidebooks on green certification and green business models in wood processing industries. Furthermore, CENER 21 facilitated private-public dialogues by organizing and delivering roundtables and training sessions focused on green business models, certifications, and funding options.

In order to transfer these gains to the macro-level, a Position Paper on Green transition in the metal and wood sectors is prepared. The position paper will serve to transfer knowledge and understanding of green recovery/green economy in wood and metal sectors, providing information to aid the decision-making process presented from a professional and objective perspective. This important advocacy tool will help develop understanding of the importance and barriers to the green economy, and build support and acceptance for proposed solutions. To ensure a clear pathway for action from government actors, the paper further analyzes the current policy situation and propose actions to be taken to improve the environment for a green economy in the metal and wood industries.