Ten Cities, One Voice: Climate Bridges Network Launches Regional „Breathe Clean“ Campaign on World Lung Day
The Climate Bridges Network is set to make a powerful statement on September 25th, 2025, as ten Western Balkan cities unite for simultaneous „Breathe Clean“ campaign events. Timed to coincide with World Lung Day, these coordinated activities across the region will address the urgent issue of air pollution while demonstrating the power of regional climate cooperation.
On September 25 – World Lung Day, join us in 10 cities across the Western Balkans as we take this movement to the street.
A Regional Response to Air Quality Crisis
Air pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental and health challenges facing the Western Balkans. Cities across the region regularly exceed WHO safety limits, particularly during winter months when heating demands increase pollution levels. The „Breathe Clean“ campaign emerges as a collaborative response, bringing together over 75 organizations from the Climate Bridges Network to tackle this interconnected challenge.
„Air pollution doesn’t recognize borders, and neither should our response,“ explains Zana Vokopola, Executive Director of the Urban Research Institute. „Through coordinated action across Western Balkan countries, we’re demonstrating that regional climate solutions can address local health concerns while building stronger communities.“
Local Solutions Driving Change Across Ten Cities
Each participating city will host activities designed to address local air quality challenges while connecting to regional climate action and cross-border cooperation. Events will take place in Tirana, Pogradec, Librazhd and Berat (Albania), Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Nova Bila (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Pula (Croatia), Skopje (North Macedonia), and Podgorica (Montenegro).
The events will include expert panels on air quality, climate connections, and public health, alongside creative and community-driven activities. Across locations, programs will feature informational talks by environmental and health professionals, school workshops on clean air and sustainability, and the distribution of educational materials. Public spaces will host interactive exhibits, ranging from live air quality displays to artistic installations using recycled materials, designed to spark reflection and dialogue. Bicycle parades, eco-stations, and urban greening activities will promote sustainable mobility and connection to nature. Participants of all ages are expected to engage through creative walls, message boards, and social media actions, sharing personal pledges and visions for cleaner air. While each city will tailor the events to address its own pollution challenges, the shared campaign message will foster a strong regional voice for healthier environments and collective action.
Join the Movement: Learn more about the Climate Bridges Network and discover how you can get involved by exploring the network platform. For the latest updates and event agendas, visit our news section.
A Blueprint for Regional Climate Action
The „Breathe Clean“ campaign represents more than a single-day initiative. Developed through participatory workshops involving Climate Bridges Network partners, the campaign serves as a replicable model for addressing interconnected environmental challenges across borders. The campaign’s innovative approach integrates multiple environmental themes under the air pollution umbrella, recognizing that poor waste management, transport-related emissions, energy-inefficient buildings, and industrial practices all contribute to both local air quality problems and global greenhouse gas emissions. This holistic perspective allows communities to address immediate health concerns while contributing to broader climate action.
„What makes this campaign particularly powerful is its adaptability,“ notes the campaign development consortium team. „Each city can tailor activities to their specific pollution sources and community needs while maintaining connection to the broader regional movement. This creates a template that other cities and regions can adopt and customize for their own contexts.“ The campaign’s emphasis on avoiding polarizing narratives while focusing on relatable benefits such as improved health, economic savings, and community resilience offers a pragmatic approach to climate communication in regions with high climate skepticism. By positioning environmental action as grassroots-driven rather than top-down, the campaign builds trust and encourages broader participation.
Download the full campaign concept here.
Looking Beyond September 25th
The „Breathe Clean“ campaign extends well beyond the September events, with online components, educational materials, and ongoing community engagement activities planned throughout 2025 and 2026. The Climate Bridges Network’s member organizations will continue sharing campaign materials, supporting local initiatives, and fostering the regional cooperation that makes such coordinated action possible.
The campaign’s success metrics will include social media engagement, event participation, media coverage, and qualitative feedback from communities. However, the ultimate measure of success lies in the campaign’s ability to demonstrate that regional cooperation can address local environmental challenges while building the foundation for larger-scale climate action.
As cities across the Western Balkans and beyond grapple with air quality challenges, the „Breathe Clean“ campaign offers both immediate solutions and a platform for collaborative environmental action. By breathing clean air together, these cities are showing that the path to climate resilience runs through community engagement, regional cooperation, and shared commitment to healthier futures.
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This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). The German Federal Government additionally contributes to the project through the Support for Climate Dialogue within the Framework of the Regional Climate Partnership with the Western Balkans, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.