LocationsInvestment Pipeline of Projects Contributing to the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals Presented
Advancing the Serbian Sustainable Investment Ecosystem
December 22, 2025
Photo: Jakov Simović for UNDP Serbia
Belgrade, 22 December 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia presented the investment pipeline of projects contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SDG Pipeline. These projects promote sustainable investments that - in addition to profitability - contribute to sustainable development, economic growth, environmental protection, and have a broader social impact.
The SDG Pipeline was developed based on the SDG Investor Map, developed two years ago by UNDP in cooperation with the Government of Serbia and private sector partners. As a strategic framework, the Map identified six priority areas for sustainable investments: food and beverages, renewable energy sources and alternative energy, infrastructure, technology and communications, healthcare, and transport and e-mobility. Taking it one step forward, the Map has now been specified through 44 sustainable investment typical projects, with clearly defined and ranked investment-grade projects.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarović said that for Serbia, SDGs are not just a declarative document, but rather a framework used as a foundation for its economic model, since economic development is inseparable from sustainability.
“Sector domains included in the SDG Investor Map are among the Government’s top priorities and are strategically relevant for our citizens. Following the Map, we now have a pipeline of projects corresponding to actual investor needs and Serbia’s development requirements. Many of the projects within the pipeline rely on innovation, which shows that Serbia is building an economy based on knowledge and innovation, research, and development”, Mesarović highlighted. She also thanked Professor Lončar and the UNDP team, as well as all institutions and experts who contributed to developing this portfolio.
Serbia is one of approximately 30 countries worldwide that developed the SDG Map by applying UNDP’s global methodology. Conversely, the SDG Pipeline has only been developed in Serbia thus far and the methodology for it was developed here, representing innovation within the UNDP system and positioning Serbia as a pioneer in taking this approach.
The project portfolio is intended for domestic and foreign investors, companies, funds, banks and other investors seeking credibly developed investment-ready projects with growth potential and development impacts.
UNDP Resident Representative Yakup Beris said this pipeline represents an important step towards advancing a sustainable investment ecosystem in Serbia.
“The pipeline provides investors with transparent and standardised information and helps public institutions identify projects in sectors with national relevance. Hence the pipeline is a platform connecting private capital with Serbia’s development priorities and SDGs. In addition, many of these projects support green and digital transformations that are crucial for the country’s future sustainable development”, Beris emphasised.
The pipeline preparation methodology was developed in several stages, with significant reliance on the local context and consultations with national institutions and the private sector. The methodology and the pipeline were developed by Prof. Dragan Lončar, PhD, of the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics, in cooperation with the UNDP Serbia team.
Each project was scored from three perspectives: that of the investor (market potential, financial projections, risks, market readiness), public sector (regional development contribution, infrastructure gains, employment impact, and sector transformations) and the SDG perspective (social, environmental and development impact). To make them understandable to the private sector and the broader public, the SDGs were ‘translated’ to the language of ESG that is significantly more common. The result is 44 projects presented through standardised scorecards with business models, finance, risks, SDG contributions, and sectoral contexts.
The project pipeline can be accessed via this LINK, and can be downloaded HERE.
