Image caption:

Some of the members of the working group from the Climate Bridges project at the “Climate Champion” award ceremony in Sarajevo/BIH. © CENER21

The project supported the implementation of the “Green Agenda” for the Western Balkans at regional and local level. The main focus was on strengthening transnational cooperation for more efficient climate protection: to this end, several international meetings were held between representatives of public authorities, NGOs and semi-public institutions. They explored new opportunities for cooperation and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the current climate policy situation. On this basis, a network of around 30 organisations was established – and continues to grow – with members from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Slovenia and Austria. In cooperation with experts, for example from the Federal Environment Agency and the Austrian Climate Ministry, the project transferred knowledge, good practices and experiences from the Alpine region. It also produced a report on the current climate policy situation in the six Balkan countries and Croatia. On the one hand, it analyses the status quo of the respective strategies and laws while, on the other, containing proposals for improving the situation together with a plan for capacity building.

The project partners will continue to work on a voluntary basis over the next two years to strengthen and expand the network. A follow-up application to the European Climate Initiative in Berlin should enable further funding of the network.