Environmental issues have captivated both domestic and global public attention throughout 2023, yet they generally remained in the shadow of significant political and war-related events.
Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions have been at the forefront of all countries’ priorities in recent years. At last year’s global climate conference COP28 held in early December in Dubai, world leaders reached an agreement—yet another “historic” one—calling for a gradual departure from fossil fuels, done “fairly, orderly, and equitably,” aiming to achieve zero emission rates by 2050.
The main issue has been, for years now, that the largest global polluters (such as the US, China, India) are slower in implementing decisions, while expecting others to act more swiftly. However, it’s not all bleak; it seems that Europe has taken previous agreements and commitments more seriously. Eurostat announced in mid-November that greenhouse gas emissions in European Union countries decreased by 5.3% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year.
Emissions dropped from 867 million tons to 821 million tons. The countries with the most significant reductions in carbon emissions were Bulgaria with 23.7%, Estonia with 23.1%, and the Netherlands with 10.3%.
Regarding the COP29 climate conference, Biznis.rs reported in early December that Serbia is at the top of the list of candidates to host this gathering in 2024. This unofficial information was disclosed by the International Intrigue bulletin as part of its analysis of the latest COP in Dubai.
“According to the rules, some Eastern European countries are in line to host this global summit, and Serbia is evidently the only country acceptable to both Russia and the EU,” announced Helen Zhang, co-founder of International Intrigue, in the news overview shared by this informative startup with nearly 10 million subscribers worldwide.
Our interviewees declined to confirm or deny Serbia’s entry into the shortlist for COP 29, nor did they reveal whether Serbia officially applied to host the conference. However, one of them remarked that if it were true, being shortlisted would be “fantastic news.”
Serbia becoming increasingly ‘greener’
There is hope for the planet, as during 2023, investments were made in the development of green energy, which is crucial for the future ecological landscape of the world. In Serbia, there is an intensive effort underway to swiftly transition to a “green” status.
An example is the support provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which awarded cash prizes totaling $190,000 to the authors of 19 best innovative solutions for a faster transition to a circular economy. Private, public, and social enterprises, scientific institutions, and citizen associations were among the awardees, and their innovations will contribute to more efficient resource and energy use, better waste management, thereby reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preserving the environment.
At the end of October, the Government of Serbia adopted a Regulation on the manner and procedure of construction and demolition waste management, which prescribes for the first time the method of managing this type of waste.
Efforts are also being made towards forest restoration. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection published in October, within forest restoration projects from 2018 to 2023, approximately 1,000 hectares were afforested in over 60 cities and municipalities in Serbia.
This year marked the announcement and the commencement of several wind farm constructions across Serbia. In Vojvodina, wind farms are planned in Banatsko Novo Selo, Srbobran, Bečej, Pančevo, and Sombor.
The Vetrogon wind farm will be located in the municipalities of Srbobran and Bečej, covering an area of about 457 square kilometers. The construction is planned to feature 55 to 75 wind turbine towers, each with an individual installed capacity of no less than five MW. The total capacity is estimated to be around 450 MW, making Vetrogon the largest wind farm in Serbia.
Additionally, there’s the “Vetrozelena” wind farm with a maximum capacity of 291 MW. Construction was expected to begin in late 2023, with completion and operation anticipated in 2025. Vinson Invest from Novi Sad plans to build this wind farm in the areas of the Sombor municipalities of Stanišić, Čonoplja, Svetozar Miletić, and Sombor 2. The total planned capacity of this wind farm is about 120 MW.
In Eastern Serbia, the construction of the “Snaga Istoka” wind farm in the Bor City area is planned. The proposed installed capacity of this wind farm is 300 MW. Majdanpek Municipality has put forward a draft detailed regulation plan for the Jasikovo wind farm area. According to the plan, the investor, the company Jasikovo doo from Zemun, intends to build a wind farm with an approximate capacity of 70 MW in the territories of Majdanpek and Žagubica municipalities.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy announced, following the completion of the initial auctions for market premiums, an expected revenue of €240 to €600 million over 15 years from wind farms. This revenue is based on the price difference between the market price and the average achieved at the auction.
“For Serbia’s energy transition, more than 20 billion euros are needed at this moment, and this funding cannot solely come from the state budget, nor can it be solely stimulated by commercial banks or foreign funds. New financing models need to be found, such as green bonds,” emphasized Siniša Mitrović, the head of the Circular Economy Center at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, at a conference held in early December at Kopaonik.
Science assistance is indispensable for any development; hence, in April, the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia announced that, under the Green Science-Industry Cooperation Program, it would fund 20 projects over the next two years involving 215 researchers from 37 research organizations.
The total value of approved projects amounts to 3.5 million euros, funded from the budget of the Republic of Serbia. The minimum approved project budget is 140,503.21 euros, while the maximum sum is 191,237.93 euros.
Green energy is becoming a priority for Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), which announced in March its active engagement in the trend of decarbonization and green transition. EPS plans to invest around eight billion euros between 2023 and 2035.
The year 2023 was also marked by the news that investments in solar energy would, for the first time, surpass investments in oil production during the year, as announced by the International Energy Agency. Specifically, for every dollar invested in fossil fuels, $1.7 is being directed toward clean energy.
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