Balkan Renewable Energy Program

Background

Climate change not only threatens to wreak havoc on our global infrastructure, it is also a serious impediment to the further development of countries. Climate change will place additional barriers to the eradication of extreme poverty and the promotion of overall shared prosperity, particularly in emerging economies like those in the Western Balkans. The Balkan Renewable Energy Program (BREP) is an initiative aimed at promoting the development and use of renewable energy sources in the Balkan region.

‍

In short

The Balkan Renewable Energy Program (BREP) is an initiative aimed at promoting the development and use of renewable energy sources in the Balkan region.

The Balkan Renewable Energy Program provides assistance to the energy sector’s main stakeholders – the ministries, project developers, and local financial institutions – in Western Balkan countries. The project addresses a broad range of market barriers, and seeks to trigger significant transformation in those markets. It takes a programmatic approach by working to improve the regulatory framework for renewable energy to open the market; supporting early movers (i.e., project developers) with technical assistance in renewable energy project development; and by offering technical assistance to local banks.

‍

5 main pillars

0

1

2

3

4

5

.

01

Decarbonisation and climate resilience

An audit to understand your brand, your competition, and how to cut through the noise of a crowded industry.

01

Circular economy

An audit to understand your brand, your competition, and how to cut through the noise of a crowded industry.

01

Depollution: air, water & soil

An audit to understand your brand, your competition, and how to cut through the noise of a crowded industry.

01

Biodiversity: protection & restoration of ecosystems

An audit to understand your brand, your competition, and how to cut through the noise of a crowded industry.

01

Biodiversity: protection & restoration of ecosystems

An audit to understand your brand, your competition, and how to cut through the noise of a crowded industry.

Governance and implementation

Transitioning to renewable energy will allay the region’s current heavy dependence on coal, reducing the release of air pollutants including greenhouse gases. In addition, updating regional grids and developing renewable domestic energy sources will decrease losses of electricity from transmission and distribution, conserving the energy produced by using it more efficiently. Reforms in the region’s energy sector that make electricity cheaper and more easily available are certain to tangibly improve the livelihoods and living conditions of Western Balkan people, particularly in urban areas.

This project has made special efforts to share knowledge and lessons learned through newsletters, manuals, and other publications. Indeed, other countries are already keen to replicate some of the early successes witnessed in the Western Balkans. The activity’s emphasis on partnering with governments and the private sector in the Western Balkans helps accelerate the growth of the region’s renewable energy sector. To make the program scalable and replicable, each country project coordinator also has a legal, technical, or financial expert role. Internal processes are also continually examined to ensure that the project is successful.