The countries of the Western Balkans must immediately launch urgent measures to reduce air pollution, since the region’s air quality is the worst in Europe, said the European Fund for the Balkans, which is implementing its “Balkans United for Clean Air” campaign with organizations from the region.
Participants in the regional campaign, including organizations from Belgrade, Pristina, Podgorica, Zenica, Skopje and Tirana, have called upon Western Balkan countries’ institutions and citizens to work together and prevent the premature death of 30,000 people every year. Most of these are attributed to exposure to particulate matter, which mainly stem from coal‐fired power plants.
Emissions of pollutants from large power plants in most countries in the region exceed the prescribed limit values; according to the latest data, coal‐fired power plants in the Western Balkans emit more sulfur dioxide than all such plants in the EU combined. Globally, coal is becoming a thing of the past, and today it is more cost‐effective to build solar power plants and wind farms than to maintain existing thermal power plants. Companies that produce and use coal face increasing costs for licenses to emit carbon dioxide and complying with environmental regulations, so they are accelerating their plans to shut down or at least switch to other fuels.
While investors in the wider region are canceling their plans to build new plants, and shutting down or announcing the shutdown of dozens of existing ones, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to prioritize building new thermal power plants.
“Balkans United for Clean Air” emphasizes the necessity of regional cooperation in the transformation of the energy sector and the environmental protection system, which would improve both the economy and public health.
Between December 2021 and April 2022, we shared information on six important topics related to air pollution in the Western Balkans, promoting them through all available channels, social networks and traditional media in the region, creating a network of more than 500 organizations, individuals and professionals. In that way, and by gaining publicity through more than 300 media reports, this campaign managed to reach one million citizens.
The “Balkans United for Clean Air” campaign demands that decision‐makers redirect their policies in the form of urgent measures to reduce air pollution, in line with the commitments from the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans signed by those very decision‐makers in Sofia on November 10, 2020. In the context of the region, the Green Agenda implies regulating the cross‐border impact of air pollution, adopting strategies to improve air quality, raising the capacity of air quality measurement systems and completely eliminating coal subsidies.
Phasing out coal in electricity production is the most important measure for improving air quality, and the replacement of household boilers with more environmentally friendly solutions, solar panels on rooftops, and energy efficiency improvement projects can also play a significant role.
The “Balkans United for Clean Air” campaign is an initiative by the European Fund for the Balkans in partnership with the following organizations: Eco Forum from Zenica, Environmental Territorial Management Institute from Tirana, Sbunker and Balkan Green Foundation from Pristina, Air Care from Skopje, OZON from Podgorica, Renewables and Environmental Regulatory Institute and Belgrade Open School from Belgrade. It is taking place for the second year in a row, aiming to raise the awareness of the region’s citizens about the causes and consequences of pollution, possible ways to improve air quality and the fight for a healthier environment. “Balkans United for Clean Air” stresses the necessity of regional cooperation in transforming the energy and environmental protection systems, which would improve both the economy and public health.
