Project "Green Economic Development" Presented in Ten Cities in BiH

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), within the project ”Green Economic Development”, in cooperation with partners the FBiH Environmental Protection Fund and the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency of RS, and the Swedish development agency SIDA, organised educational and entertaining events called ”Like for Smart Energy”, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

Approximately 12,000 citizens attended these events, which were organised in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Bihać, Travnik, Goražde, Tuzla, Bijeljina, Mostar, Livno and Trebinje. In this way, a contribution was made to a better understanding of energy efficiency and the importance of smart energy use.

- The held educational and entertaining events mean a lot for the project, but also for the future of all of us. Energy efficiency is very important in various aspects, and by implementing these and similar activities, we want to encourage citizens, primarily young people, to use energy smartly and use renewable energy sources - said Sanjin Avdić, head of the energy and environment sector at UNDP.

The project's mascot, Professor Atom, shared useful advice at these events on the topic of more efficient energy use, thanks to which citizens can contribute to creating energy sustainability, and in a fun way brought concepts from the field of energy efficiency closer to the youngest population.

According to Duško Mazalica, the actor who portrayed the character of Professor Atom, a like is very fashionable today.

- Young people absorb knowledge very quickly. If we instil correct habits in them now, then over time they start to correct us - emphasised Mazalica.

The little ones, together with their parents, participated in the knowledge quiz ”Znanjomat”, and were rewarded with interesting prizes and educational brochures on the topic of more efficient energy use.

UNDP, with its partners, is implementing the five-year project ”Green Economic Development”, which aims to strengthen the capacities of funds, reduce the spending of public funds on energy and water consumption and allocate them to more priority investments, and enable favourable conditions for investment in infrastructural energy efficiency measures, while simultaneously creating „green jobs“.

The director of the FBiH Environmental Protection Fund, Safet Harbinja, said that the fact that the five-year programme „Green Economic Development“ is being implemented until 2018 is an incentive for creating a long-term strategy and development programme when it comes to the area of energy efficiency.

- We are already working on creating conditions, quality legislative frameworks and sustainable financial mechanisms (revolving fund), in order to lay the foundations for increasing financing in the initial phases of creating a market for investing in energy efficiency for municipalities, cities, business entities and individuals - said Harbinja.

The Government of Sweden is committed to long-term support for improving environmental protection, reducing the negative impact on climate change and economic development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- Most public buildings in BiH use heating systems that “burn” both energy and budget funds. Therefore, in addition to investing in infrastructural energy efficiency measures, it is very important that citizens, as well as decision-makers, become aware of the importance of systematic energy management and influence positive changes in behaviour, rational energy consumption, the use of renewable energy sources and environmental protection - said Marie Bergström, Counsellor at the Agency for Development Cooperation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in Sarajevo.

According to Srđan Todorović, director of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency of RS, it is of great importance to point out to citizens that more efficient energy use results in less spending of financial resources in households, schools and numerous organisations.

- Smart energy use and energy sustainability also contribute to environmental protection, and that is very important for a healthier and happier future for all of us, primarily our children - added Todorović.