Belgrade, January 23, 2024 – Within the "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia" initiative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) selected 23 new innovations for the green transition of the Serbian economy and society. They will be implemented thanks to the financial support of the European Union (EU) and Switzerland in the total amount of 1.6 million euros and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and environmental pollution, especially fighting air pollution, and the promotion of more efficient use of natural resources. Innovations proposed by private and public enterprises, civil society organisations and scientific institutions were selected within the Challenge Call for Proposals for Green Transition.

“With several green policies in preparation, more than 50 pilot actions implemented by SMEs, research institutes and local self-governments across Serbia and scaling-up activities to accelerate green financing, we can say with certainty that the project Green Agenda for Serbia is very successful. More will be done in the coming months, as climate action and environmental protection need more support, for the benefit of all citizens of Serbia”, said Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Serbia.

“Switzerland is very pleased to be part of this initiative and to support innovative pilots that have great replication potential. The scaling up of these pilots would make a significant positive impact on the Serbian environment, which is what we strive to achieve in cooperation with project partners”, stated Richard Kholi, Head of Cooperation Office in the Embassy of Switzerland.

For example, the Regional Landfill in Subotica, together with the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops from Novi Sad, will conduct research on making compost from waste sludge in order to make use of large amounts of this material that is created from waste water. The company "Greendecor", in cooperation with the Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", develops innovative green roofs, made of plants that are more resistant to climate change and suitable for maintenance. They can significantly increase the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce air pollution in cities. The company „ArTech engineering“ will use textile waste to produce new material suitable for use in the construction of roads, buildings and interior decoration. Among those selected is the solution of the Public Utility Company "Kruševac", which will create a green area in the industrial zone of Kruševac and near the Moravian Corridor, in order to improve air quality in this region.

All 23 new innovations will be implemented during 2024. Within the "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia" project, a total of 29 innovative, green solutions have already received support from the EU and Switzerland in the amount of 1.3 million euros. Stories about some of them can be found here. 

The Challenge Call for Proposals for Innovative Solutions for the Green Transition of the Serbian Economy is open until the end of 2026. The next cycle of evaluation of submitted ideas is expected in the first half of 2024. 

The project "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia", with the technical and financial support of the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional financial resources provided by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.