Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – According to Sustineri Partners, Montenegro has joined talks on a regional initiative aimed at easing access to green financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and preparing them to comply with European ESG and decarbonization standards.

International expert on the coal market and ESG standards Catherine Atkin is visiting Montenegro, where she is leading discussions on the regional initiative.

As co-founder of the Global Digital Single Data Market Alliance (DSMDA), Atkin is developing a digital platform to support automated reporting on energy use and emissions, critical for SME access to green finance and compliance with EU standards.

The visit to Montenegro is part of a broader regional dialogue that has already begun in North Macedonia, where a memorandum of cooperation has been signed with the Government. 

The purpose of the initiative is for Montenegro to become one of the first countries in the region to consider partnership on this project.

“Green transition must not be a privilege of the big players. Our goal is to provide SMEs with concrete tools, based on open data and automation, so they can prove their environmental contribution and access financing that has so far been unavailable to them,” Atkin said.

The digital platform is particularly important for the Western Balkans, where more than 390,000 SMEs operate facing limited resources and a lack of reliable tools to monitor emissions.

During her visit to Montenegro, Atkin met with Executive Director of Elektroprivreda (EPCG) Ivan Bulatovic, who expressed the company’s readiness to support the dialogue on such initiatives.

The connection between the initiative and Montenegrin institutions and the economy was facilitated by Biljana Braithwaite, director of Sustineri Partners and founder of the ESG Adria Summit.