Our colleague Filip Blagojević participated in the three-day event EUKI Networking Event Western Balkans, which was held in Sarajevo from October 7 to 9, organized by EUKI Academy and CENER 21. This gathering brought together more than forty actors in the field of climate policies from the Western Balkans, with the aim of exchanging ideas, strengthening cooperation and joint action to implement the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
EUKI (European Climate Initiative) is a program that aims to connect organizations, institutions and cities across Europe in joint efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate cooperation.
During numerous panels and workshops, participants discussed decarbonization, implementation of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), as well as the role of cities in climate actions.
Special emphasis on the second day was on local climate actions and the development of climate city contracts, through the examples of the cities of Elbasan, Podgorica and Sarajevo. Participants exchanged experiences on citizen involvement, continuity of climate policies and inter-institutional coordination. A workshop on effective climate communication was also organized, during which participants analyzed ways to bring climate messages closer to citizens through simple and inspiring narratives.
The event ended with a study visit to the Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Kakanj, where participants had the opportunity to learn about examples of sustainable practices in the industry.
One of the main goals of this gathering was the networking of participants and the creation of new partnerships between projects, organizations and cities in the region, because by working together we can achieve climate transition that is more fast and just for the Western Balkans.
