Climate Change, Natural Resources and Energy
🟢 The director of the Center for Climate Change at UDG, Dr. Ivana Vojinović, was a panelist at the Conference “The Role of Media in Addressing the Climate Crisis” held from April 15-16, 2024, in Novi Sad.
❗️Director of the Center for Climate Change at UDG, Ivana Vojinović, was a panelist at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly within the 105th Rose-Roth Seminar held in Sarajevo. She spoke on the topic “Climate Change and its Impact on the Western Balkan States in the Context of Security and Safety.”
❗️The Western Balkans is among the most vulnerable regions in Europe to climate change, thus all Western Balkan states must work together to mitigate its impacts and adapt the region to a greener future.
During the panel focusing on climate change in the context of stability and security, alongside Ivana Vojinović, Lejla Šuman, Director of REC BiH, and Goran Svilanović, an international consultant, exchanged views on climate resilience, proactive engagement in policy, and sharing best practices. These are challenges that require long-term strategic thinking and action.
The seminar was organized in cooperation with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Defense and Security and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, receiving financial support from the Swiss Federal Department of Defense and non-financial support from the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).
The event gathered 51 parliamentarians from 10 NATO allies and 6 parliamentary partners in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, as well as leaders from the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Parliament, regional and international experts, and representatives from local embassies.
🌿 The 2 day webinar was a deep dive into the role of non-environmental CSOs in promoting green transitions in the Western Balkans and Türkiye.🌿
Dr. Ivana Vojinović led us through the history and development of EU environment and climate change policy, skillfully outlining the European Green Deal as a new roadmap for sustainable development. Her insights into the financing mechanisms of the Green Deal provided a comprehensive understanding of its strategic implementation.
Toni Vidan, a prominent figure in environmental advocacy with Zelena akcija / FoE Croatia — provided an in-depth analysis of the EU Green Deal. He focused on the basics, the political framework, and particularly the energy sector’s role in achieving climate neutrality. Presenting the case study, decarbonisation of the energy sector, Toni remarked, “Community energy is also socially sustainable due to local ownership.”
Day 2 🌱 dr. Ivana Vojinović gave us insight into green transition in the context of the European Green Deal and reaching climate neutrality. She presented the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and its main pillars:
🌳Climate action (including decarbonisation, energy, and mobility)
🍏Circular economy (addressing waste, recycling, sustainable production, and efficient use of resources)
♻️Biodiversity (aiming to protect and restore the region’s natural wealth)
🚜Fighting pollution of air, water, and soil
🌿Sustainable food systems and rural areas
🟡 This partnership event was organized by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD) – Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) – North Macedonia, and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) – Albania as part of the SMART Balkans project – Civil Society for a Connected Western Balkans, financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway.
🔴 During the study visit, risks of corruption in the environment prevailing in the Western Balkans region were explored, with a special focus on North Macedonia, as well as best practices and lessons learned to help combat corruption in the region’s countries
🟡 Meetings were held with the Informal Green Parliamentary Group in the Parliament of North Macedonia, the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, the State Environmental Inspectorate, the State Inspectorate, and lectures were delivered by representatives of the Center for Environmental Democracy “FLOROZON,” the Environmental Association “Vila Zora,” the Center for Civil Communications, and the Macedonian Association of Young Lawyers.
🟤 The Center for Climate Change at UDG was part of the project “Civil Society Organizations’ Obligations for Economic Integration of the Western Balkans into the EU,” funded by the Open Society Foundation for the Western Balkans and implemented by the Institute for Good Governance and Environmental and Climate Policy (IPECC). The center served as a rapporteur for all six Western Balkan countries on the topic of “Environmental Governance” within the thematic working group “Climate and Green Agenda🌲”.
🟤The workshop was organized by the Coal Regions in Transition Initiative for the Western Balkans and Ukraine. On this occasion, the conclusions of the project “Dialogues for a Just Energy Transition” 🪨⚡️🇲🇪 implemented by the Center for Climate Change at UDG, with the support of the Ministry of Capital Investments of the Government of Montenegro, were presented.
