EU and Austria supported regional campaign to promote energy efficiency continues in North Macedonia
50 catalpa trees were planted today in Skopje 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), Austria and local partner banks: Sparkasse Bank, ProCredit Bank, NLB Bank and Komercijalna Bank 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 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 most active partner financial institutions, and producers and sellers of energy efficient technologies, for their contribution to the success of the GEFF programme in the Western Balkans.
Andi Aranitasi, Head of EBRD in North Macedonia said: “Improving energy efficiency leads to lower energy use and bills and overall better quality of living, and we are glad that households in North Macedonia have been able to feel these benefits thanks to our GEFF programme. North Macedonia has shown great interest on investing in energy efficiency technologies with more than €18 million already verified investments in the last 4 years. We would like to thank all our GEFF partners and donors EU and Austria, Sparkasse Bank, NLB Bank, ProCredit Bank and Komercijalna Bank, as well as vendors of green technologies Eco Vent, Rabush Plast, Karmen Baucentar, Tehnoauto, Daikin – Almakos, REHAU and Usjepor for helping us to successfully extend the GEFF programme in North Macedonia.”
David Geer, Head of the Delegation of the European Union said: The EU Green Deal aims to turn political ambitions to tackle climate change, environmental degradation and the collapse of biodiversity into comprehensive practical steps. The increased use of renewable energy and actions to improve energy efficiency are key elements in creating a greener and more sustainable future in line with these ambitions. The Green Economy Financing Facility, which the EU is co-financing, has already helped some 2,500 households with energy saving investments. And there is more to come. This is just part of the EU’s support for sustainable economic growth targeting ordinary citizens.
Georg Woutsas, 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 North Macedonia and the wider region to improve energy efficiency of their homes and thus contributed to the reduction of emissions.”
“The City of Skopje will focus on support of activities aimed at environmental protection which have a direct impact on creating a better future. With collective effort, we can make an impact towards green transition and realize the vision to increase environmental awareness while enabling a stronger environmental protection system”- said Danela Arsovska, City Mayor of Skopje. The planting of the trees was supported by the Public Company “Parks and greenery”, as well as the volunteers of “Go Green” organization.
“In the past four years Sparkasse Bank has been one of the active promoters of WB GEFF Programme and together with former Ohridska Banka, has approved EUR 15 million loan for this purpose. Through our sales network, we have been working hard to directly promote the programme, which contributed towards higher level of education and awareness among the citizens in the implementation of the energy-efficient technologies during reconstruction or construction of their households,” said Nina Nedanovska, Mеmber of the Management Board of Sparkasse Banka AD Skopje.
,,It is our great pleasure to be part of this initiative of planting trees, where we give our support, in particular having in mind the fact that it is in line with NLB Bank’s strategy for managing the environment and the social issues. This Strategy is fully implemented in our daily working, and the Bank is actively supporting projects by giving significant contribution to the green economy through sponsorships and donations covered“, said Ginter Friedl, Board Member, NLB Bank.
ProCredit Bank has joined EBRD GEFF Program for investments in energy efficiency projects. The Program is in accordance to our bank’s goals, as the environment sustainability is one of the main principles of our operation. We support the green initiative for planting trees and through the initiative #ICareActChange, we are joining today’s event with a donation of 10 trees, contributing towards cleaner air and protecting the environment, said Emilija Spirovska, Management Board Member, ProCredit Bank.
“Komercijalna Banka is proud of its participation in the implementation of the GEFF Program with a credit support for households to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution. The Bank’s contribution is significant because it aims to create a better world for present and future generations and to preserve the planet Earth,” said Dr. Maja Stevkova Sterieva, Chief Financial Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Komercijalna Banka.
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 10,000 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 €50 million. It is part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans and implemented in partnership with the Energy Community Secretariat.