Project “Energy of Change”

The Environment Improvement Centre, in partnership with the Klima101 portal, is implementing the Energy of Change project, which aims to more strongly involve citizens in climate change mitigation processes through education and information on existing and new opportunities in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

The sixth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, based on 14,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers, states that there is no doubt that humans are responsible for global warming. How much the Earth will warm depends exclusively on our choices today, and scientists and the international community agree that any warming above 1.5°C would mean serious consequences for many systems on the planet.

In order to strengthen resilience to climate change, it is necessary to reduce energy consumption.

Cities are one of the main contributors to climate change and are responsible for 78% of global energy consumption and over 60% of total greenhouse gas emissions. A significant share in emissions is the consumption of electricity for heating and cooling of buildings and houses, as well as the use of different types of fuels for the purposes of heating. The main reasons are energy inefficient facilities, and below par use of renewable energy sources, although there is potential, which leads to households in Serbia consuming almost 50% more energy than the average EU household.

Significant changes in the field of legislation in Serbia occurred in 2021, when the Law on Climate Change, the Law on Changes and Amendments to the Law on Energy, the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and the Law on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy were adopted. The most important innovations in the adoption of laws in the field of energy are greater involvement of citizens in the energy transition by introducing the institute “producer – consumer”, and the introduction of subsidies to finance and encourage energy efficiency in households.

Project goals

Overall goal of the project
Enable public participation in the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies in the city of Belgrade.

Specific objectives of the project

1. Increase transparency and availability of information on policies and measures related to climate change mitigation in the city of Belgrade;
2. Improve implementation practices of energy efficiency measures and use of renewable energy sources on the territory of the city of Belgrade;
3. Empower citizens to be actively involved in the implementation of climate change mitigation policies and measures in Belgrade.

Implementation period June 2021 – January 2022

The analysis of the research on the state, needs and attitudes of citizens shows the current situation, needs and interest of citizens for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in the Republic of Serbia.

The project “Energy of Change” is implemented within the project of the Belgrade Open School “Green Incubator”, with the financial support of the European Union and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The content of this page does not necessarily reflect the views of donors or the Belgrade Open School, and the Environment Improvement Centre is solely responsible for it.