On our way to joining the European Union, among the most important steps are our answers and solutions to the problems of environmental protection and climate change in the field of legislative frameworks and strategic plans. It’s off to a good start. A solid strategic and legal framework for the environment and climate change has been prepared, but the implementation is slow.
There are also numerous environmental problems: water and air are polluted, waste is inadequately managed, natural resources are being depleted, and environmental protection is in last place. Although there are a lot of local movements, civil society associations and activists who try to contribute to changes and implementation of adopted policies in the field of environmental protection, very few of these organizations are sufficiently developed to influence the creation of policies. Only a few organizations have the potential for effective engagement and influence on decision-making. At the same time, the majority base their work on activism and have modest capacities for wider action and influencing public processes.
Effective and lasting problem solving can only be achieved through well-structured processes, where strong and credible civil society organizations participate as equal partners to government institutions. Among them is certainly the World Environmental Protection Organization WWF Adria Serbia, which started the implementation of the project “Serbia Actions in the Field of Environment and Nature and Climate — Safe Nature and Climate”. The project was supported by the European Commission through the Civil Society Support Program and is a direct response to Serbia’s common challenges for global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
IN FOCUS:
- PERFECT TIMING AND THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR BUILDING A SOLAR POWER PLANT
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CAN ONLY BE SOLVED THROUGH A JOINT EFFORT
- SIEMENS — CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CARES
Goals and conditions of the current project
The strategic grant program is a WWF project whose goal is to form a network of civil society organizations in Serbia that will implement sustainable ideas in the field of environmental and climate protection. The project’s main goal is to increase civil society organizations’ influence and capacities in dealing with reform and integration processes in the EU in the areas of environmental protection and climate change. Civil society organizations can apply if they have project proposals that contribute to the following goals:
- Improving the capacity of representatives of civil society organizations to monitor local and national policies and regulations in the field of environmental protection and climate change
- Research and analysis of gaps in policy management and regulatory frameworks related to environmental protection and climate change mitigation
- Advocacy for correct and effective local and national environmental protection and climate change policies
- Promoting dialogue and active engagement of citizens as a prerequisite for setting up effective environmental reforms and policies for EU accession
- Raising awareness of the importance of establishing correct and effective environmental protection and climate change policies that enable the development of a sustainable ecosystem in the Republic of Serbia.
The project lasts until 2025, and a new call will be announced yearly. Anyone who meets the requirements can apply for a grant in the maximum amount of 18,000 euros. The program is designed in such a way that an organization can apply in the following year with the continuation of the same project or with a different project, but so that the total amount of the grant in these three years does not exceed 40,000 euros.
Prepared by: Milica Radičević
Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine Waste Management.
