Urban Transformation Project Sarajevo (UTPS)
Author(s): Ešref Gačanin, Nataša Stanišić
Date: 22.08.2024.
Long story short:
The EU4Green project, started in January 2022. and aims to support the Western Balkans in transitioning to modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economies. The project’s specific objective is to aid the region in implementing the Green Agenda, steering it toward sustainability and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
Main Content:
The Western Balkans face significant challenges due to climate change, exacerbated by reliance on fossil fuels and outdated, resource-intensive industrial practices. The farming sector also has untapped potential for greater efficiency. A shift towards a circular economy—where resource extraction is minimized, and recycling and reuse are prioritized—is essential for sustainable economic development. This transition offers an opportunity for the region to adopt innovative green technologies, catering to both local and European markets.
EU4Green envisions supporting the six Western Balkan beneficiaries in implementing the Green Agenda while aligning with their EU accession processes. The project emphasizes the importance of leveraging synergies between Green Agenda implementation and Cluster 4 development at a regional level. By fostering regional cooperation, peer learning, and focusing on operational implementation at the national level, EU4Green seeks to empower relevant ministries and administrations to drive this transition.
As a key component of the EU’s ongoing support, EU4Green aims to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions, resource use, and waste generation, while enhancing climate resilience. The initiative covers a wide range of thematic areas, including Decarbonization, Circular Economy, Depollution (Water, Air, Soil), Biodiversity, Agriculture, Communication, Education, Stakeholder Participation, and Green Finance.
Extensive assessments by the project team, in collaboration with beneficiary organizations and key stakeholders, have set priorities and targets across these areas. However, the successful implementation of the Green Agenda in the Western Balkans requires the cooperation of all relevant sectors, including the private sector, education, CSOs, and local communities. EU4Green serves as a catalyst for concrete actions on the ground, enhancing existing collaborations and fostering new initiatives.
Impact on Industry:
The EU4Green project, aims to significantly impact the industry in the Western Balkans by catalizing shift towards sustainability and (natural) resource efficiency. Within the project we encourage industries to reconsider use of fossil fuel and lower its dependency on it, as well as enhance efficient use of resources, promoting the adoption of green technologies and practices that reduce carbon emissions and waste.
In the future, industries in the Western Balkans, will be incentivized to modernize their operations, embrace circular economy principles, and invest in innovative technologies that align with EU environmental standards. The preparation and fast transition is to be ensured only through thorough undestanding and preparation, which will lead to reduction of environmental impacts, but also to enhancing of competitiveness in the European market, where demand for sustainable products and practices is growing.
By fostering regional cooperation and knowledge exchange, EU4Green will help industries in the region to adopt best practices in depollution, and resource management primarly. The focus on Green Finance within the project will also provide industries with access to EU funding opportunities for green investments, further accelerating the transition to sustainable industrial practices.
In the long term, the project will contribute to the creation of new green jobs, the development of sustainable supply chains, and the overall resilience of the industrial sector across the Western Balkans. As industries modernize and align with the Green Agenda, they will be better positioned to meet EU accession requirements and compete in a global market that increasingly values sustainability.
Conclusion:
The EU4Green project serves as a catalyst for the transformation in the Western Balkans, pushing economies towards a future where sustainability and competitiveness go hand in hand. Through alingement with EU Green Deal, the region’s industries will not only reduce their environmental footprint but also gain a competitive edge in the European and global markets.
Relevant Links:
www.eu4green.eu ; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550846935577;https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Aorganization%3A99906525&keywords=eu4green&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=747fa07e-f6c3-4881-90ed-b224ffb3c384&sid=OLF&spellCorrectionEnabled=false;
