Environment and Energy - Archive

Sustainability Forum identifies ways to embrace a decarbonized future in the Energy Community

Forum Statement

The third Sustainability Forum took place under the auspices of the Energy Community in cooperation with Balkan Green Foundation, Heinrich Böll Foundation and The Nature Conservancy on 27 June 2019 in Vienna. Here is the Forum's agreed statement.

How can the Western Balkans and Ukraine transition to clean energy?

The success of the energy transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine is a question of political will in those countries. But the EU can help set up the conditions for a successful modernization, writes Robert Sperfeld.

By Robert Sperfeld

Small Hydro: Harmful to everyone - except investors

According to data obtained by the CINS, between 2013 and 2017, EPS was the primary recipient of state funds for electricity produced by small hydro, while in second place were companies owned by Nikola Petrović or his business partners, with more than €10 million in income. Petrović is a former director of “Elektromreža Srbije", and godfather to President Aleksandar Vučić.

By Radmilo Marković

Green Power to the People – Croatian Perspective on Community Energy

Renewable energy development in Croatia and the Western Balkan countries should be led by citizens and local renewable energy cooperatives, rather than big (often foreign) investors and companies. This way benefits generated from the local potential remain in the hands of the local community.

By Mislav Kirac , Melani Furlan and Robert Pašičko

Western Balkans’ potential for production of energy from agricultural biomass

The ecological conditions of the Western Balkans, notably its diverse climate, relief, soils and vegetation cover, enable production of a range of livestock types and crops, many of which are suitable for biomass production. In spite of this, at present, energy production from biomass in the region is almost entirely based on forest products.

By Marijan Gajšak , Darko Znaor and Seth Landau

Publications

Perspectives - Green Transition and Social (In)justice

After decades of warnings, it seems that the green transition – the huge change that should slow down, mitigate, and eventually stop, if not reverse, the threatening deterioration of living conditions on this planet – is finally on everybody’s lips. This edition of Perspectives explains the concept of a just transition - a way to make the change without leaving anyone behind.

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Environmental Issues Perceptions 2021

Opinion poll

The Heinrich Bell Foundation, in cooperation with IPSOS, conducted a public opinion poll on the environment and ecology in late October and early November. The research topics were: ecology, air and water pollution, waste management, climate change, environmental priorities and solving environmental problems.

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Progress in Lockdown

Shadow Report

Over the past year, we have witnessed ever-increasing public interest in issues related to the environment and climate change. In spite of this, progress on Chapter 27 has, in many ways, remained in quarantine.

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Out of pace or Out of the Race?

Fact Sheet

Our world is facing one of its greatest challenges: the race to zero (emissions) and climate-neutrality. To stay on track, science warns of the required stage times, especially for the next decade, through to the year 2030. In this brochure, we present comparative data relevant for the establishment of energy profiles of the Western Balkan countries, “contracting parties” to the Energy Community Treaty, and how they might win the race.

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Walking in the Mist - Coalition 27 Shadow Report 2020

Report

The report “Walking in the Mist” is the seventh annual report by Coalition 27 on important developments and changes in the area of environmental protection and climate change in Serbia. With this Report, the Coalition would particularly like to emphasize that the decision-making processes in the field of environment and climate change is still not transparent to the public.

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Bački Monoštor - A Village on Seven Danube Banks

In the unique present-day Monoštor, you can sail through the Danube’s distributaries and canals, exploring in deep silence the mysterious remnants of the medieval city and fortress Bodrog, once the seat of the Bács-Bodrog County located in the area of today’s Bački Monoštor

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Chapter 27 in Serbia: Money Talks

The report Chapter 27 in Serbia: Money talks is the 6th annual report that tackles important developments in the area of environmental protection and climate change in detail. This Coalition 27 report covers the period between March 2018 and February 2019 and as such it follows the annual report publication of the European Commission.

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A novel model for affordable, cooperative housing in Serbia

This brochure introduces a resident-driven approach that can help a substantial segment of the population to address these housing needs. Based on the “smarter building” approach developed by Ko Gradi Grad (Who Builds the City), a flagship building is being prepared to prove the concept.

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Sustainable Development in Kosovo: A Local Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to account for how local governments and citizens perceive sustainable development in Kosovo and explore bottlenecks and opportunities they face in this regard. A combination of document analysis and information gained through public debates shows that local governments are in a favorable position to respond to and address today’s local development challenges in Kosovo. Findings indicate that local governments can play a vital role in educating, mobilizing, and responding to citizens to promote overall sustainable development in the longer term, albeit a relatively new concept in Kosovo.

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Perspectives SEE - Still stuck in the past: How addressing Energy and Climate Change can advance development #5

This issue of Perspectives is dedicated to climate change mitigation in the Western Balkans, because of both the global need to limit global warming but also because mitigating climate change, as the articles show, goes hand in hand with development both in terms of economic growth and in terms of health, wellbeing and societal development. With this context in mind, the articles before you shed light upon some of the commonly overlooked aspects of it but also point to solutions which are good starting points for any future changes in how we think of energy, development, and public good more broadly.

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