EU and Austria supported regional campaign to promote energy efficiency continues in Kosovo
140 linden trees were planted today in Prishtina in an effort to make the city greener. The trees were donated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Union (EU) and Austria, as part of the Western Balkans Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) which supports households to invest in energy efficiency improvements.
To mark the results of the GEFF programme and to symbolically contribute to the fight against climate change, the EBRD, the EU and Austria will plant 1,000 trees during November-December 2021 in six Western Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The trees also represent the award for the 18 most active partner financial institutions, and 32 producers and sellers of energy efficient technologies, for their contribution to the success of the GEFF programme in the Western Balkans.
Neil Taylor, Head of EBRD in Kosovo said: “Improving energy efficiency leads to lower energy use and bills and overall better quality of living, and we are glad that households in Kosovo have been able to feel these benefits thanks to our GEFF programme. We would like to thank all our GEFF partners and donors EU and Austria, TEB Bank, ProCredit Bank, Raiffeisen Bank and two micro-finance institutions AFK and KRK, as well as vendors of green technologies Termoklima, Ylli Company, Graniti & Co SHPK, Enrad, Lokaj Plast and Fetoshi for helping us to successfully extend the GEFF programme in Kosovo.”
Hillien Francke, Deputy Head of Cooperation, EU Office in Kosovo said: “Air pollution remains one of the biggest challenges in Kosovo. Trees and forests play a pivotal role in keeping our air cleaner and healthier. The European Union will continue supporting local and central authorities in Kosovo to reduce air pollution. Together with our partners we are supporting many projects aiming to shift towards clean and renewable energy sources, more efficient heating and increasing energy efficiency. We hope and expect that our determination will be matched by Kosovo’s policy makers.”
Martin Schaller, the deputy Austrian Ambassador added: “Energy efficiency is a powerful resource to be exploited but requires collective effort and cooperation. Austria has committed over €5 million so far to the GEFF programme and is therefore a key partner in this endeavour. Indeed, it is great to see that the programme has already helped an impressive number of people in Kosovo and the wider region to improve energy efficiency of their homes and thus contributed to the reduction of emissions.”
“The Municipality of Prishtina thanks all the donors who are part of this initiative, Prishtina as a city with high pollution is in constant need of new plants. This donation of 140 trees will help reduce this pollution and contributes to a greener and cleaner environment”, said Fatime Hajdari, Director of the Parks Directorate in the Municipality of Prishtina.
Households that wish to improve the energy efficiency of their homes can apply for special-purpose loans through GEFF partner financial institutions. Upon successful completion of the investments, households receive incentive grants funded by the EU worth up to 20 percent of the loan amount, making these investments more affordable to citizens.
GEFF, which is developed by the EBRD and co-financed with grant resources from the EU, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, and bilateral donors to the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), has supported over 9,000 households in the region to improve energy efficiency over the past four years with investments in new windows, insulation, heat pumps etc. The programme, which offers specialised credit lines and grant resources, has financed green technology investments worth over €45 million. It is part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans and implemented in partnership with the Energy Community Secretariat.