Our History

This year, the CENN team decided to present annual results in terms of their contribution to specific global SDG targets. This report is structured according to the thematic directions of CENN, and the main achievements of each initiative are grouped both by thematic directions and corresponding SDGs. The results show that CENN’s activities correlate with targets from all 17 SDGs.

• Mainstreamed Sustainable Development in Formal Education by introducing circular economy and green entrepreneurship bachelor and master courses at the universities of Georgia and Armenia;
• More than 350 schools participated in the Niko Ketskhoveli School Award;
• Guidebook for schools on Green Technology and Sustainable Forest Management has been developed;
• Reached more than 500,000 people through various awareness-raising activities;
• Awarded six young people with Green Scholarship;
• 43 campaigns implemented by 6 Hubs, reaching 1,000 beneficiaries in Georgia and Armenia;
• Developed Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Agriculture in Marneuli;
• Analysed Water Security in Four Regions of Georgia;
• Started the implementation of Rural Energy Plans;
• Promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in rural Georgia;
• Increased Funding Opportunities for Solid Bio-energy;
• Established Framework Plan for Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) for Marneuli;
• Funded a total of 53 sub grant projects in Tsalka Municipality, with a total amount of more than 750,000 EUR;
• 22 young people have been employed at the job fests;
• Established 27 new social enterprises engaging more than 140 people through full-time or temporary employment (internship), more than 50% of them women;
• Established 6 Rural Innovation Knowledge (RIK) Hubs in Gori, Ninotsminda, Akhmeta (Georgia) municipalities and Lori, Tavush and Shirak (Armenia) provinces;
• Supported more than 200 tourism SMEs in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to strengthen their business operation and management practices via tailored trainings, match-making events and B2Bs, as well as by providing ICT applications;
• Established two new training centers aimed at empowering rural youth – Argokhi Permaculture Centre in Akhmeta municipality, Argokhi village in Georgia and Green Training Centre (GTC) in Tavush Region in Armenia;
• Developed assessments of COVID-19 and WASH in Schools and Dispensaries of Akhmeta and Tsalka Municipalities. Assessments were conducted in 38 schools and 20 healthcare centers, indirectly affecting 4,238 people
• As a result of CENN’s successful advocacy, the Minister of Justice issued an order according to which the city halls are advised not to issue the property certificates for the territories located in forest areas managed by the National Forest Agency (NFA) without prior consultations with the NFA;
• Supported the implementation of the Forest Code;
• As part of the “Youth for Sustainable Development” sub-grant program initiated by CENN, local youth from the Kakheti region implemented a project aimed at stopping land burning. The project focused on the harmful effect of burning biowaste;
• National Plastic Waste Prevention document has been prepared for Georgia to tackle marine litter;
• CENN in cooperation with the National Environmental Agency (NEA) has started working on a streamflow prediction system in the Alazani River basin with the involvement of international experts;
• Promoted participatory development and implementation of climate-related strategies in Georgia;
• Strengthened vulnerable groups in Marneuli via climate-resilient agriculture;
• To empower local farmers and cooperatives to implement sustainable land management practices in pasturelands, CENN implemented a series of capacity-building activities in Kazbegi Municipality;
• Promoted Local Tourism via Developing Hiking and Biking Trails in Ajara and Kakheti;
• GoCaucasusToday – a Single Tourism Destination Portal for the Caucasus Region has been established;
• Organized an active media and outreach campaign to raise awareness about Tsalka as a tourist destination;
• Local Development Strategy (LDS) of Tsalka Municipality has been developed;
• Started assisting the SDG Secretariat of Georgia in implementing the localization Action Plan in five pilot municipalities – Rustavi, Telavi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi and Batumi – of Georgia;
• Promoted Social Entrepreneurship Legal Framework in Georgia and Armenia;
• Organized a first-ever social and green enterprise exhibition to increase the visibility of green social enterprises in Georgia and Armenia;
• Facilitated establishing new linkages among beneficiary SMEs and potential clients both on the country and regional levels in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan;
• Launched “Idea Bank” – digital repository of innovative action ideas that can be supported by investors, venture capitalists, and state and/or successful entrepreneurs in the future;
• Supported small and medium entrepreneurs in the forestry sector of Georgia by supporting income generation diversification and non-timber forest products production;
• The multi-Stakeholder Working Group (MSWG) was established in Marneuli to promote economic opportunities and social inclusion of local stakeholders;
• Created new multi-stakeholder platforms at the national and regional levels to facilitate the engagement of civil society in developing and implementing climate-related strategies in the regions of Racha, Guria, Imereti and Kakheti;
• Established the Georgian Forest Product Association (GFPA);
• Organized the Transboundary Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) Conference on Social and Green Entrepreneurship;
• Initiated a project “Youth for Sustainable Development (Y4SD): Building Cross-Border Confidence through Joint Climate Actions for Resilience Building” which aims at empowering youth, teachers, students, and environmental professionals from the conflict-affected communities to unite forces and advocate for action against climate change;
• Became a co-chair of a Working Group of the SDG Council of Georgia on Sustainable Energy & Environment Protection (along with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and UN FAO) and started an initiative aimed at supporting the SDG Secretariat of Georgia in ensuring multi-stakeholder dialogue in the process of implementing SDGs;
• Twenty (20) active girls from different villages of Marneuli were united via the Marneuli Girls Club;

• 130+ young changemakers joined CENN Green Camp;
• 5 young scholars announced;
• 700 school eco-clubs from every region of Georgia participated in the Environmental Youth Award “Niko Ketskhoveli;
• CENN team directly supported capacity-building activities of 3,000+ women in Georgia and Armenia;
• Our programs provided funding for innovative business ideas for 30+ women.
• We started a new project – Georgia Climate Action Project (GEO-CAP), which aims to strengthen the civil society of Georgia and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, with a particular focus on the rights to water and a healthy environment;
• We started the implementation of a project “Assessing the Climate Change Impact of the Bakhmaro Resort Zone”, which aims to advance science and research and encourage informed and evidence-based environmental and political decisions;
• With the support of the British Embassy in Tbilisi, we started the implementation of a project “Fostering Sustainable Food Systems for Climate Resilience in Georgia”, which aims to contribute to the reduction of the country’s GHG emissions by initiating dialogue and reaching consensus among Food Businesses Operators on key priority issues that address food loss and waste and promote sustainable food systems in Georgia;
• We have been successful in organizing multi-stakeholder consultation meetings and establishing special platforms for improved inter-agency coordination in cooperation with MEPA and the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Parliament of Georgia such as Forest Group of Inter-Agency Coordination Council for Rural Development (FG-IACCRD), the Green Economy School, the Forestry Work Group in Parliament and the Green Budget Project;
• We identified rural energy solutions in the Kakheti, SamegreloZemo Svaneti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Adjara A/R regions in a participatory manner;
• To support the diversification of rural economies and promote job opportunities from the sustainable use of forest resources, our team has elaborated and provided the NFA with the “Guideline on the Identification of Touristic-Recreational Forests and Their Management in Georgia”;
• We launched the first pilot project demonstrating the sustainable usage of non-timber forest resources, resulting in the creation of 60 new jobs in rural communities, of which 60% of newly employed workers are women;
• In cooperation with the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, our team prepared the Green Budget Project;
• As a result of our sub-grants, waste management microenterprises improved their supply chains and access to raw materials by establishing strong business connections with large waste generators, optimizing recyclable waste collection schemes, and joining public waste recycling systems established in previous years;
• With the support of the Embassy of Norway in Georgia, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we started a new project “National Plastic Waste Prevention Program for Georgia (NPWPP)”;
• With the support of the European Union EU4Youth program, we launched a new project – Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (SEED) for Green Growth in Borderline Communities – in partnership with Green Lane NGO (Armenia) and the Kakheti Regional Development Foundation (Georgia), which aims to discover future green entrepreneurs and promote their innovative potential in the Caucasus region.
• 65 young people participated in the GREENcubator – pre-accelerator program in Georgia. The participants were able to identify social and environmental problems in their communities and turn them into business solutions.
• To respond to existing challenges in the agriculture sector, our partners, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia together with FAO and RECC, launched a new project – Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Targets of Georgia through Restoration and Sustainable Management of Degraded Pasturelands
• With the support of HEKS-EPER South Caucasus, we started a project “Resilient Agriculture – PRAISE Marneuli”. The objective of the project is to support income generation opportunities for the vulnerable population in Marneuli Municipality of Georgia via the development and promotion of environmentally friendly and Climate Resilient Agricultural (CRA) practices;
• With support provided by the EU’s ENPARD program as well as our technical support, Keda Local Action Group has funded a total of 97 business ideas and social initiatives, including 51 projects funded in 2020. The supported initiatives contribute to the increase in income generation and economic diversifications in mountainous Adjara A/R;
• The EU-supported Embrace Tsalka project financially supported 15 innovate projects to generate new employment opportunities in Tsalka Municipality, including agriculture, tourism, diary production, nonagricultural commercial projects, and educational and social activities;
• To respond to the existing and novel challenges in the tourism sector, caused by the Covid-19, our team, together with partners at Green Lane NGO in Armenia, began a new project – Digital Caucasus;
• With the support of the EU, we implemented pilot projects to improve WASH conditions for communities in 15 villages of Georgia reaching about 6,000 people who now have access to safe drinking water;
• In partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), we launched Phase II of the “Sustainable Low Emissions Transport” project in Georgia. UNEP intends to continue supporting the development and implementation of vehicle emission standards in Georgia via the adoption and implementation of Euro-equivalent vehicle emission standards to promote a global transition to no-and low-emissions mobility for improved air quality and climate change mitigation;

• The Environmental Youth Award – Niko Ketskhoveli 2019 – brought together a record number of 500 eco-clubs that participated in the project from every region of Georgia
• In partnership with National Geographic, the YourShot Georgia “Photo Synthesis” photo competition was held to raise public awareness concerning the importance of bird conservation
• 46 local business and social innovation initiatives were funded under the EU-supported Keda LEADER project in Keda Municipality, Adjara AR
• The Forest Group was established under the Inter-Agency Coordination Council for Rural Development (FG-IACCRD) and has state and non-state members involved
• The Geo-Statistic Database of forest fires in Georgia was created
• A study was concluded to identify the factors that lead to tree cover loss in the country, and as a result, the main drivers behind tree cover loss have been identified
• A municipal Waste Management Plan developed for Tbilisi City Hall was approved by the City Council and is operating in the city
• A Waste Management Plan was developed for Mtirala National Park
• 3 big illegal landfills were closed down across the country
• For the first time in Georgia, a Circular Economy course was promoted at educational institutions. As a result, the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) included the course in its curriculum and is offering the course to its students
• A waste recycling system was expanded and is already established at 48 locations in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kobuleti and Khelvachauri
• Tsalka Local Action Group (LAG) was established under the EU-supported ENPARD program in Tsalka Municipality
• The Local Development Strategy for Tsalka Municipality has been elaborated via participatory LEADER methodology
• Two WaSH regional councils were established in the Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions
• An educational program for students – Green Economy School – has kicked off in order to provide hands-on experience for students by implementing socially and environmentally responsible business projects based on the economic function of forests
• Georgia became a partner of the worldwide hands-on, science and education Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program
• A large-scale campaign – Say No to Plastic – was launched involving various stakeholders
• An Environmental Businesses Committee was created within the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) with regular meetings for business sector representatives
• The first ever Waste Expo was organized in Georgia

• Municipal Waste Management Plan (MWMP) was developed for the Tbilisi City Hall
• Waste Management Plan was developed for Tbilisi National Park
• Very first waste separation corners were launched in Batumi
• Plastic separation process in the Tusheti Protected Area was launched
• Launch of the large-scale environmental campaign — Keep Georgia Beautiful
• Supporting Kvareli Municipality in introducing a waste tariff calculated according to modern methodology
• Implemented more than 10 WASH pilot projects in Georgia
• Established WASH Councils in Akhmeta, Lagodekhi, Sagarejo, Tetritskaro, Marneuli, Dmanisi, Tsalka Municipalities
• Keda Local Action Group (LAG) established under the EU-supported ENPARD program
• Rural Development program launched in Tsalka Municipality under the EU-supported ENPARD program
• Forest policy implementation tools were elaborated for the National Forestry Agency
• The Action Plan for the Management of Recreational Forests in Georgia was developed for the National Forestry Agency
• The State Programme for Providing Rural Populations and State Authorities with Heating Resources, Including Firewood, has been elaborated for the GoG
• Forestry portal – Forestry.ge has been launched
• New tourist route in Tbilisi connecting Turtle Lake to Mtatsminda has been identified and marked
• Recommendations for restoring edible chestnut forest stands in Georgia has been elaborated in cooperation with the National Forestry Agency of Georgia
• Your Shot PhotoSynthesis  photo competition has been announced in cooperation with the National Geographic Magazine Georgia

• A waste separation system was introduced in Tbilisi
• Municipal waste management plans for municipalities in Kakheti and Shida Kartli regions and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara were developed
• Control/monitoring system for biodegradable and compostable bags produced in or imported to Georgia was established
• Waste Management Plan was developed for Lagodekhi Protected Area
• The very first WASH project in Georgia was launched
• First Project under EU ENPARD program was launched in Keda Municipality promoting EU’s LEADER approach in the rural development sector
• Promotion of biomass production via the establishment of the biomass briquette production line in cooperation with UNDP and the NFA (Matani village, Kakheti region)
• The establishment of youth Eco Hubs
• Informal Forestry and Eco Tourism educational module has been launched under the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia;
• Krtsanisi Forest Park promotional campaign has been launched with more than 2,000 people reached
• Beshumi Recreational Forest has been cleared illegal waste (total amount 2,200 m³) in the scope of the WMTR/USAID and SFG/ADA projects and the rehabilitation plan for the resort has been elaborated

• Environmental mobile app “GreenWatch” launched
• The Caucasus Environmental Knowledge Portal – environment.cenn.org was developed and launched
• CENN participated and hosted side events within the 8th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference in Batumi, Georgia
• Buxus Colchica nursery in the village of Rukhi in the Samegrelo region was established
• Announcement and implementation of the Niko Ketskhoveli School Competition
• Sub-law on Green Space Management was developed
• Cost-Benefit Analysis of Forest Function Management was developed
• The agricultural demo-plot in Telavi, Kakheti region was established
• The Disveli Eco-migrant Women’s Cheese cooperative was opened
• Waste Separation Scheme at Goodwill Hypermarket and Tbilisi Marriot Hotel were introduced
• A waste separation and recycling electronic game for children “sort and recycle” was developed and launched
• Closure of illegal dumpsite in Beshumi, Khulo municipality
• Closure of Gurjaani Landfill
• Seasonal Study of the Composition of Solid Municipal Waste in Adjara AR and Kakheti Region was conducted
• The Waste Management Guideline for Agency of Protected Areas (APA) was developed
• General methodology for waste tariff calculation and a cost recovery system was developed
• Publication of the study “Environmental and Socio-Economic Implications of the Mining Sector and Prospects of Responsible Mining in Georgia”

• Developed the Adjara Forest Strategy
• Implemented the 2015 Photo Synthesis school competition with the slogan: “Wood is more than firewood”
• Established 7 local working groups (LWG) in mining-affected regions in the South Caucasus Region
• Developed technical regulations for Construction, Operation, Closure and After-Care of Landfills and Collection and Treatment of Municipal Waste that were approved by the Government of Georgia

• CENN assisted the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia:
• to develop an implementation roadmap for the last 3 protocols of the LRTAP convention
• to design a national air quality monitoring network
• CENN introduced modern tools for air quality monitoring and management (ADMS-Urban, THOR, COPERT 4)
• A draft plan to reduce the consumption of firewood was developed
• A National Plan for Preserving Buxus Colchica was developed
• Transboundary Climate Change Adaptation Plans in the Caucasus were developed
• A mandate of the MRA was amended to reflect eco-migration issues and an Eco-migration department was established, legal acts regulating the resettlement process were approved
• CENN developed a map of Natural Disasters and Eco migration Risks
• CENN initiated the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) approach in Georgia
• Alliance of eco clubs in Georgia was established and registered
• CENN established the first women agriculture cooperative in Disveli
• CENN established the Niko Ketskhoveli Environmental Award

• CENN assisted the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia to develop a National Forest Policy document in participatory way that was approved by the Parliament in December 2013
• CENN was accredited as an observer organization to the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• CENN joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC)
• The first automatic Air Quality Monitoring station in Georgia was installed with the support of CENN

• CENN developed the first Atlas of Natural Hazards and Disaster Risks and a Web-Portal for Georgia
• CENN became Chair of the Environmental Sub-Group of the Donor Coordination Group on Agriculture
• CENN created a portal of the Land Sensitivity Maps for Alazani-Lori (Geo-Az) and Khrami-Debeda (Geo-Arm) transboundary watersheds
• CENN developed Climate Change Adaptation Plans for the climate hot-spot municipalities and regions in the Caucasus region
• The number of CENN electronic network subscribers exceeded 21,000

• CENN was elected as GEF NGO Network’s Regional Focal Point (RFP) for the Eastern Europe & Central Asia Region
• CENN, in collaboration UNITAR and Ministry of Environment Protection of Georgia, developed a Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Model for Georgia

• CENN was elected as Co-Coordinator of the Thematic Working Group on Energy Security, Environment and Climate Change of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
• CENN became a member of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaPCSF)
• CENN mobilized 6 new Rural Women Councils (RWCs) in Kvirila-Tskhaltsitela (2 in Georgia), Agrichay (2 in Azerbaijan) and Debeda (2 in Armenia) river basins
• CENN established the Association of Tower Owners in Svaneti

• CENN became a member of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaPCSF)
• CENN initiated a Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Mitigation (CCADM) program in the Caucasus
• CENN developed natural disaster hazard, vulnerability and risk maps for hotspot areas in Georgia
• CENN initiated a new program promoting modern Disaster Risk Management (DRM) technologies and methodologies in partnership with ITC Netherlands
• CENN created sensitivity maps for Georgia (forestry, mining, water resources, fishery and POPs)
• CENN became member of IUCN
• CENN obtained an accreditation with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF)
• CENN became a member of the GEF NGO Network
• CENN became a member of the Working Group on Environmental Impact Assessment, under the UNECE ESPOO Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in Transboundary Context
• CENN became a member of the Avalon Network

• CENN established:
  • The Open Environmental Civic Initiative (OECI) for the Sustainable Development of Georgia that incorporates local groups active throughout the country and works on integrated natural resources management and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) issues
  • Rural Women Councils (RWCs) in Khrami-Debeda (Georgia-Armenia) and Alazani-Lori (Georgia- Azerbaijan) transboundary watersheds that work on female empowerment for sustainable natural resources management
  • The Compliance Stewardship Council (CSC) for improved policy dialogue and sustainable development
• CENN, together with the OECI, managed to prioritise DRR (improvement of the system of environmental monitoring and prognosis) as one of three priorities in the Basic Data and Direction (BDD) document of the Government of Georgia for 2009-2012
• CENN initiated the following Green Campaigns:
  • Green Bag
  • Green Café
• CENN became an NGO Focal Point for Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
• CENN became a Partner of the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV)

• CENN established:
  • The Center for Journalists reporting on the environment
  • The Open Environmental Civic Initiative (OECI) for the Sustainable Development of Georgia
• CENN signed a Memorandum of Partnership with organisations acting in the fields of sustainable development and environment in the South Caucasus region
• CENN initiated:
  • The Green School Campaign
  • The Green Office Campaign

• CENN established:
  • The Bakuriani Tourist Information Centre (TIC)
  • The Bakuriani Hotel Association
  • The Samtskhe-Javakheti Public Information Centre (PIC)
  • The Kvemo Kartli Public Information Centre (PIC)
  • The Ajarian Youth Environmental Network (AYEN)
• CENN organized the first Caucasus Independent Documentary Film Festival “Footprints”
• CENN facilitated the Kura-Araks NGO Forum
• CENN merged with the ACTA Consultants Georgia Ltd.

• CENN established:
  • Caucasus Youth Environmental Network (CYEN)
  • Public EIA Library

• CENN became a member of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA)

• CENN established:
  • Energy Services Consumers Association (ESCA) in Tbilisi, Georgia
  • Bakuriani Public Environmental Information Center (PEIC)

• The first regional magazine “Caucasus Environment” was issued
• CENN established the Kvemo Kartli Public Information Center (KKPIC)

• CENN began large-scale regional activities in the Caucasus region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation)

• CENN was officially registered in Georgia

• CENN created the Caucasus electronic network
• CENN began its operations, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Caucasus environmental NGOs