Climate Bridges

Forming a climate action network in the Western Balkan to advance transnational climate policy in the region.
In November 2020, leaders from the Western Balkan countries signed the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. It aligns with the EU Green Deal and offers guidelines on how to foster climate action in the region. Effective climate policy does not stop at boarders and requires a trans-national approach. Lots of civil society organisations in the region already work in the climate protection field. What is so far missing, is a network to connect these actors. While various climate action networks already exist on the European level, there is no civil-society-driven network yet in the Western Balkan.
Logarska Alpine Glacier Valley in Slovenia © Tomo Jesenicnik
The team of Climate Bridges strengthens climate action in the Western Balkans by establishing a climate network of civil society organisations and (semi-) governmental bodies. This makes use of the advantage that civil society organisations are more flexible when connecting on trans-national level.
The climate network platform fosters exchange, discussion and collaboration on trans-national level to mitigate climate change in the region. Experiences gained from similar processes in the Alps, like the Alpine Partnership for Local Climate Action or the Alpine Climate Board support these activities.
To display the status quo in the region, the project team collects 30 good practice examples of climate action and awards the best ones with a climate price. Additionally, three climate mitigation strategies will be elaborated with pilot regions in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia. Representatives from the Alpine region support the elaboration of the strategies and thus empower and motivate participants from the Western Balkan countries to replicate successful approaches.
Updated: January 2022
Countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia
Project duration: 09/21 - 02/24
Funding: 528,638 €
Target groups: Civil Society, Governments, NGOs, Regional governments
Implementing organisation: CIPRA International
Partners: Association Green Istria, CENER 21, Urban Research Institute
Paula Duske
Organisation:
CIPRA International Lab GmbH
Address:
Jahngasse 9
6850 Dornbirn
Austria
Email:
paula.duske∂cipra.org
This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The EUKI call for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
European Climate Initiative (EUKI)
Potsdamer Platz 10
10785 Berlin – Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 338424 570
info∂euki.de