On 29 June 2026, the first edition of the Green Finance and Investment Forum Moldova brought together more than 200 representatives of government institutions, financial institutions, businesses, development partners and international organisations to explore one of Moldova's defining questions on its path towards EU accession: how can green ambitions become green investments? The Forum was opened by Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu, followed by a keynote address by Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and welcoming remarks by the Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder.
One message resonated throughout the discussions: Environmental protection was no longer presented as a trade-off against economic growth. Quite the opposite. From the European Commission to the Government of the Republic of Moldova, from financial institutions to business leaders, a remarkably consistent vision emerged: investing in nature means investing in economic resilience, competitiveness and long-term prosperity.
The answer, speakers agreed, lies not only in mobilising finance, but in a broader shift of perspective, one that increasingly recognises healthy ecosystems as essential infrastructure for sustainable economic development.
"Environmental policy has become economic policy"
With these words, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, captured perhaps the central idea of the day. Healthy ecosystems, she argued, are no longer simply something societies choose to protect, they have become the very foundation of resilient economies. Water, biodiversity, fertile soils and healthy forests are not environmental luxuries, but productive assets upon which industries, agriculture, infrastructure and communities all depend. "When we invest in ecosystems - or in sustainability - we are not being generous to nature," Her Excellency reminded participants, "We are investing in our future."
And this broader philosophy resonated strongly with Moldova's own leadership. Opening the Forum, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu challenged the traditional narrative that economic growth and environmental protection compete with one another. "The question is no longer whether we invest," he noted, "but how we invest." Green development, he stressed, is not pursued because Europe expects it, but because future generations of Moldovans depend on it.
Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder echoed this vision, pointing to the country's accelerating commitment to EU environmental standards. Environmental legislation, he explained, ultimately means cleaner air, safer water and stronger communities, while businesses increasingly recognise environmental investments not as burdens but as drivers of future competitiveness. "The future of our economy will be green," he concluded.
Throughout the Forum, discussions moved beyond principles towards implementation.
One example during the discussions was Chișinău's successful green transport project, financed through a municipal bond issuance, still a pioneering instrument in the region. While such financing mechanisms remain largely untapped across neighbouring countries, the experience demonstrates that innovative green finance is no longer a theoretical concept, but an emerging reality capable of accelerating sustainable investment at local level.
On the other hand, Government representatives described ongoing efforts to strengthen sustainability reporting, green public procurement, environmental governance and access to international financing, while acknowledging that administrative capacity remains just as important as financial resources. The recurring message was that successful green transition requires coordination across ministries, local authorities, financial institutions, businesses and international partners alike.
It is precisely within this collaborative space that the EU4Green Recovery East Programme, funded by the European Union, contributes. As a strategic partner of the Forum, the Programme supports the dialogue needed to translate policy ambitions into practical investment, strengthen institutional capacities and connect public authorities, businesses and financial actors around a shared vision of resilient, resource-efficient development. During the event, EU4Green Recovery East Programme Representative in Moldova, Andrei Isac, moderated the panel on decentralised green investments and access to finance, highlighting the importance of stronger synergies among EU funded programmes. public authorities, development partners and local stakeholders in accelerating Moldova's green transition.
Perhaps the Forum's greatest achievement was not a financing announcement or a policy commitment. It was the emergence of a different narrative. One where nature is no longer perceived as a constraint on economic development, but as the infrastructure upon which lasting prosperity depends. Or, as Commissioner Roswall concluded:
"When we invest in nature, we are not choosing nature over growth, we are choosing the kind of growth that lasts."
