The workshop “ESG REPORTING IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS” was successfully held on 29 January 2026 at the premises of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, organized by StatPro d.o.o. (Podgorica) in cooperation with project partners Okviri znanja LLC (Karlovac, Croatia) and FinRar LLC (Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The event gathered over 25 representatives from the business community, public institutions, state-owned enterprises, and the financial sector to strengthen knowledge and deepen understanding of ESG principles, the applicable regulatory framework, and their practical implementation in contemporary business practices.
Opening Remarks and Workshop Objectives
At the beginning of the workshop, participants were addressed by representatives of StatPro LLC, Executive Director Slavica Marković, and Project Manager Gorica Ćurčić.
In her opening remarks, Gorica Ćurčić, after expressing gratitude to participants and partners on behalf of the entire project team, emphasized that the objective of the workshop was to gather a broad range of representatives from the business community, not only large companies, but also micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which play an important role in value chains and bear an increasingly significant responsibility in the transition towards sustainable business models.
Following this, Executive Director Slavica Marković briefly presented the companiESGuide project, highlighting its importance as a practical support tool for companies undergoing ESG transition.
ESG Regulatory Framework and the Situation in Montenegro
Participants were introduced to the world of ESG principles and regulation by Prof. Dr. Ana Lalević Filipović, Full Professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, author of monographs, university and secondary school textbooks, as well as numerous scientific papers.
Through her presentation, Professor Ana Lalević Filipović, PhD, outlined innovations in corporate reporting systems at the global, academic, and national levels, with particular emphasis on changes introduced by EU non-financial reporting directives, a comparative analysis of ESG regulatory frameworks and implementation in neighboring countries, as well as the challenges related to ESG reporting in Montenegro.
The assessment of the readiness and institutional responses of the Montenegrin economy indicated that sustainability remains insufficiently integrated into corporate reporting systems, pointing to a fragmented approach and a clear need for systemic solutions, additional knowledge, and strengthened organizational capacities.
Example of Good Practice from the Private Sector
As an example of good practice in Montenegro, Veselin Popović, Head of the ESG Department at Luštica Development AD Tivat, presented how ESG principles are applied in practice, from measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to managing indirect impacts that account for the largest share of the company’s overall environmental footprint.
Special attention was given to the challenges of managing Scope 3 emissions, as well as to the importance of ESG reporting being based on a clearly defined sustainability strategy, strong management commitment, and a robust corporate culture.
Banking Perspective and Support to Companies
The second part of the workshop was dedicated to non-financial reporting from the banking perspective. The approach of Erste Bank in strengthening ESG readiness among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, as well as how the bank provides concrete support to its clients through capacity building and the development of ESG portfolios, was presented by Vanja Mitrović, Deputy Director of the Non-Financial Risk Management Department at Erste Bank and Chair of the ESG Committee of the Montenegrin Banking Association.
Her presentation clearly and practically demonstrated the tangible benefits that companies gain through the implementation of ESG standards, both in terms of risk management and improved access to finance and market competitiveness.
Presentation and Promotion of ESG Tools within the companiESGuide Project
At the conclusion of the workshop, Mario Protulipac from Okviri znanja LLC (Karlovac, Croatia) provided a detailed presentation of the companiESGuide project and promoted the ESG tools developed within the project, which provide companies with practical support in implementing ESG principles through:
- a free educational program “ESG Reporting Manager in Business Organizations”;
- a web-based ESG self-assessment platform;
- guidelines for non-financial reporting, including the ESG reporting template.
The workshop concluded with the message that knowledge, accessible tools, and strong partnerships are key to a successful ESG transition in practice.
About the Project
The project “A Companion for Sustainable Business Development – companiESGuide” is implemented by Okviri znanja LLC (Karlovac, Croatia), FinRar LLC (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and StatPro LLC (Podgorica, Montenegro), with the support of the EmBRACE Small Project Fund (SPF).
The project is financed through the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, with HAMAG-BICRO, the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovation and Investments acting as the Programme Managing Authority.