The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is the growth strategy for the region that aims to address the challenges of climate change and the green transition and to help Western Balkans (WB) countries align environmental regulations with the acquis European. The WB Green Agenda is based on the European Green Deal and the related WB Economic and Investment Plan.
The project “EU for Green Agenda in Serbia”, with technical and financial support from the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB). , with additional funding from the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.
The EU donation amounts to 7.2 million euros. In 2022, the Swiss government provided an additional $7.1 million, the Swedish government $1.58 million and the government of the Republic of Serbia $0.8 million for this initiative.
An important area of the Green Agenda is that the transition to climate neutrality must be socially just and inclusive to be successful. Therefore, project activities are designed to ensure that the costs and benefits of green transformation and decarbonization are distributed evenly across society.
The project will use the “Innovation Challenge” approach to involve different parts of society. It is a proven methodology for finding innovative and profitable ideas, technologies and business models that will lead to the improvement of social, economic and environmental conditions for all citizens of Serbia, as envisaged in the Agenda Green.
AIM:
Contribute to the effective, inclusive and sustainable implementation of the Green Agenda in Serbia by:
- improve the strategic and legislative framework,
- co-finance the implementation of innovative pilot projects and
- mobilize additional financing to scale up investments.
In this way, the project will contribute to the green transformation of the economy and society in Serbia.
TO FOCUS:
Contribute to the decarbonization of the economy and the achievement of the objectives of the Paris Agreement, by reducing environmental pollution (air, soil and water) and supporting the alignment of Serbia’s regulatory framework with the acquired by the EU by following the 5 pillars of the Green Agenda:
- Climate action, decarbonization, energy efficiency and green industries,
- Circular economy for resource efficiency and industrial symbiosis,
- Environmental depollution with a strong emphasis on air quality,
- Protect and invest in biodiversity and ecosystems,
- Sustainable food systems for sustainable rural livelihoods.
PROJECT RESULTS
Full lists of all solutions selected in the four areas of the Green Agenda covered by previous public calls:
1. Innovations to improve air quality
2. Innovative solutions for Decarbonization of the economy and depollution of the environment