Development sustainable, energy clean, air unpolluted, water clear.  

This simple verse is one of the hardest tasks we are presented to. In order to preserve the planet we live on, we have to start with putting out the “fire” burning in our own home!

Our “water cannon” will be the Green Agenda, but let us first find out about the European Green Deal, of which the Green Agenda is a part of. The European Commission presented it as a response to prevent further damage to living environment and alleviate climate changes. The aim of the Deal is, by 2050, to make Europe climate neutral – for the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, not to exceed the amount that can be absorbed by nature.

Once the Green Deal is applied to the Western Balkans and Serbia – it becomes the Green Agenda, which is a plan involving:  

1. Reduction of use of fossil fuels and transition to cleaner sources of energy – sun, wind, biomass – as well as a more rational consumption of energy. A good example is thermal insulation – the better the insulation, the less energy is spent on heating!  
2. Smarter use of natural resources. This means that we buy new products less, and that we use whatever we take from nature as a raw material for as long as we can, that we reuse it and thus eliminate waste.  
3. Decrease in water, air and soil pollution. We can achieve this by implementing the “polluter pays” principle, but also through using new technologies that reduce the release of hazardous matter into the environment.  
4. Conservation and renewal of different plant and animal species. Forests absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere! Additionally, by conserving the existing forests and planting new ones, we protect the species that live in them, improve the quality of soil and prevent occurrence of landslides.  
5. Agriculture which does not damage the environment and secures enough food for everyone. This, inter alia, means changes in the quantity and type of fertilisers, as well as smart choice of the varieties we cultivate.  

WHY IS THE GREEN AGENDA IMPORTANT TO US?

Our region is at a major risk from the consequences of climate changes! The average temperature in Serbia could be rising by 4°C by the end of the century! If this does not appear to be that dramatic, be aware that the difference in temperature on our planet between the Ice Age and today is merely 5°C! Any further rise in the temperature may dramatically change our living conditions – cause scarcity of water and food, forest fires, mass flooding and other disasters that cause damage and put human lives at risk.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

SAVE – energy, food, water. DO NOT POLLUTE – by chemical substances, or throwing waste in illegal landfills. RECYCLE – find new use for objects and don’t buy new ones unless necessary. And the most important of all, start treating the planet like it is your own home, because, as a matter of fact, it is!