Economy Minister Tomislav Coric said at the OECD's ministerial conference in Paris on Wednesday that Croatia was committed to reaching climate neutrality and long term sustainable development.

He also informed the event that Croatia had kick-started significant reforms in the education system in order to adapt to modern labour market challenges.

The ministerial conference of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) opened on Tuesday with a plenary session marking 60 years since the establishment of that organisation which gathers the most developed countries in the world, representing 70% of the world market, a press release from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development said.

The Wednesday session started with a ministerial discussion on key global challenges that require international cooperation and coordination, such as the fight again the COVID-19 pandemic, relaunching the economy and resolving the climate crisis and managing new technology.

Minister Coric, the press release notes, addressed participants on the topic of building a green future, innovations, and inclusive paths towards zero emissions. He underscored Croatia’s commitment to reaching climate neutrality and long term sustainable development and stressed the urgency to engage all sectors and stakeholders.

He mentioned the opportunities and challenges with the introduction of innovations and new technology. “The transition to innovations in business and industry creates new jobs but also requires new know-how and skills. Croatia has launched significant reforms in the education system aimed at adapting all levels of education to the challenges of the contemporary labour market. It is necessary to take into account the ageing population, the speed of technological changes and the time required to achieve economic effects and to improve the quality of human resources,” said Coric.

He added that accelerating and deepening these reforms in the coming period will create the foundation to boos productivity and growth potential in the next decade.

“it is also important to permanently encourage and motivate consumers to make environmentally acceptable decisions, not only with regard to products and services but also with regard to energy sources so that we can raise awareness of their contribution in building a healthier and better environment and climate for us all,” Coric concluded.