Hosted by the Investment Council of Armenia as part of the Green Zone opening programme, “From Awareness to Action: Strategic Communication, Public Engagement and Behaviour Change for Biodiversity” explored how communication can turn environmental awareness into meaningful action ahead of COP17.
Harutyunyan addressed the relationship between international positioning, environmental responsibility and public trust. Armenia’s distinctive biodiversity, she argued, provides the basis for a compelling story, but the credibility of that story depends on the decisions made at home.
“We cannot speak about biodiversity protection on international platforms while treating environmental risks as secondary considerations in major economic decisions at home. We cannot celebrate our natural heritage in one conversation and regard it as an obstacle to investment in another.”
Her remarks highlighted the need to scrutinise investment choices, including in mining, and to address how environmental risks are assessed, whose interests shape decisions and what costs society is being asked to accept.
“I am not suggesting that economic development and biodiversity protection are mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite. The real question is what kind of economic development we are pursuing, what we are prepared to sacrifice for it, and who gets to make those decisions.”
On building a shared national narrative, Harutyunyan stressed the importance of preserving independent voices. Businesses must demonstrate responsibility through investment decisions and measurable environmental performance; civil society must retain its right to challenge; and journalists must investigate contradictions between commitments and practice.
Moderated by Diana Ghazaryan, Communication Director at the Investment Council of Armenia, the panel also featured Tsaghkanush Mirzoyan, journalist at Public Television of Armenia; Silva Mesropian, Private Sector Engagement Expert at Waste Policy Armenia and Executive Director of the Institute of Management Consulting of Armenia; and Berta Martirosyan, wildlife photographer and biologist at BirdLinks Armenia NGO.
