“Promoting Green Deal Readiness in the Eastern Partnership Countries” (PROGRESS)

Target Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

Duration: September 2023 - April 2028

Budget: EUR 20 million

Commissioned by:

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

Consortium Members:

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (Consortium Lead)
European Business Association (EBA) Moldova
Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (IEF)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus)

Objectives:

The project “Promoting Green Deal Readiness in the Eastern Partnership Countries” (PROGRESS) supports Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine in their transition toward climate-oriented, resilient, and green economic development, aligning agricultural and environmental practices with the principles of the European Green Deal. By fostering innovative technologies, tools, and methodologies, PROGRESS accelerates sustainability, strengthens climate resilience, and enables long-term greenhouse gas mitigation, all underpinned by improved framework conditions. Its vision is to contribute to long-term climate mitigation and sustainable development in line with the EU Green Deal objectives and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathways across the Eastern Partnership countries. 

The specific objectives of the project are: 

In Georgia, the PROGRESS project supports the transition towards climate-oriented, resilient, and green economic development by working closely with national ministries, local authorities, businesses, and communities. Activities focus on aligning agricultural and environmental practices with EU standards and the European Green Deal, particularly within the agro-value chains of fruits, berries, and nuts, in particular in the blueberry and almond value chains.

Key areas of work include:

Policy Support – Assisting national stakeholders in developing evidence-based policies and frameworks that integrate climate resilience, sustainable land management, and biodiversity conservation into economic planning.
Business Engagement – Implementing demonstration projects with farmers and agribusinesses to introduce climate-smart agricultural practices, resource-efficient processing technologies, and circular economy solutions, with strong potential for replication and scaling.
Community Awareness – Partnering with local advocacy groups and agencies to promote the benefits of sustainable agro-products and to engage citizens, including female leaders, in the green transition.
Green Finance – Expanding access to environmentally responsible financial products and services, improving financial literacy, and supporting the preparation of investment proposals for climate-oriented and green projects.
Regional Cooperation – Facilitating knowledge exchange, peer learning, and capacity building with other Eastern Partnership countries to replicate successful models and enhance the impact of sustainable practices.

Project activities: 

PROGRESS in Georgia works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen rural livelihoods, protect biodiversity, and ensure long-term environmental and economic sustainability.