CBCG GREEN AWARD 2026 PRESENTED AND PETROLAMIUM CRNOJEVICII COMMEMORATIVE COINS UNVEILED
25/09/2026
The CBCG marked the 35th anniversary of Montenegro’s declaration as an ecological state by presenting the CBCG Green Award and unveiling the Petrolamium crnojevicii commemorative coins, dedicated to a unique scientific discovery.
Opening the ceremony, CBCG Governor Dr Irena Radović emphasised that sustainability can no longer be viewed solely as a matter of environmental protection, but must also be recognised as an important economic and development issue.
“Some ideas reveal just how far ahead of their time they were only as the years pass. Today, 35 years after Montenegro declared itself an ecological state, we increasingly recognise that this vision was not merely a commitment to certain values, but also an opportunity for development, one in which natural wealth, responsible resource management and sustainability could become long-term advantages for our country,” the Governor stated.
Highlighting the increasingly close relationship between climate and economic developments, Governor Radović stressed that climate risks can translate into financial risks. For this reason, she noted, “sustainability is not an issue outside the central bank’s mandate, but one that we must understand, measure and gradually integrate into the way we assess risks and consider the development of the financial system”.
She recalled that the CBCG was the first European central bank and the first institution in Montenegro to receive the international Zero Waste Business Certification under the Zero Waste Europe programme and that, together with its partners in the Financial Stability Council, the CBCG is implementing the Montenegrin Financial Sector Roadmap towards Sustainable Finance for 2025–2028.
The ceremony was also addressed by Thomas Waitz, Co-Chair of the EU–Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee and Member of the European Parliament.
“Ensuring a healthy environment also means supporting the economy. The transition requires capital, investment and economic guidance from the financial sector, as it must be carried out in an economically sustainable manner. This is why the role of the financial sector and central banks is so important,” Waitz stated.
The Evaluation Committee decided to award the CBCG Green Award 2026 to Dr Nemanja Popović for his research paper titled “The Impact of Climate Risks through Tourism on the Banking Sector in a Euroised Economy: The Case of Montenegro”.
Announcing the Committee’s decision, Governor Radović emphasised that the awarded paper stood out for its high methodological quality, original research approach and direct relevance to Montenegro’s financial stability.
“Montenegro is an economy in which climate, tourism and the financial sector are closely interconnected. We therefore need knowledge that does more than simply describe risks once they materialise. We need research that helps us identify them early, understand their transmission channels and make better decisions before they become a problem for the economy and the financial system,” Governor Radović stated.
The winner was presented with the CBCG Green Award plaque and a cash prize of 3,000 euros.
In the second part of the ceremony, the Central Bank unveiled the Petrolamium crnojevicii commemorative coins, issued to mark the discovery of this endemic plant genus and species and the 35th anniversary of Montenegro’s declaration as an ecological state.
“We want this coin to bear witness to the uniqueness of Montenegro’s natural heritage, but also to the value of science and the people whose work enables us to discover and better understand that heritage. For what we truly understand, we are better able to protect, appreciate and preserve for future generations,” Governor Radović emphasised.
The discovery and scientific description of the new species Petrolamium crnojevicii resulted from the joint work of a scientific team comprising Montenegrin researchers Dr Snežana Dragićević and Dr Snežana Vuksanović, together with their colleague Dr Boštjan Surina from the Natural History Museum in Rijeka. The coin was designed by Darko Vučković, an academically trained painter and sculptor.
On behalf of the scientific team, Dr Dragićević thanked Governor Radović and the CBCG for the recognition and honour of commemorating their scientific discovery on a coin, thereby giving it a lasting place in Montenegro’s numismatic heritage.
The Governor presented the first examples of the commemorative silver coins to the members of the scientific team attending the ceremony and to the coin’s designer.
The obverse of the coin features a depiction of the endemic plant and the year of its discovery, 2019, while the reverse bears the coat of arms of the Crnojević dynasty, a motif from the Oktoih, together with the year of issue, 2026.
This is the CBCG’s first colour commemorative coin, the first to feature a plant as its prevailing motif, and the first whose theme is not exclusively related to Montenegrin currency. The coins were minted by the Croatian Mint.