EU must boost W. Balkan support as it phases out coal – NGOs
Date: October 4th 2024
Author: Montel
Category: En.vision
Topic:
Electricity
, Renewables
, Coal
, Energy policy
The European Commission must step up its support to allow for a ‘just transition’ in coal dependent communities in the Western Balkans, a group of NGOs said on Friday.
Five Western Balkans countries – Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and North Macedonia – are trying to scale down their heavy dependency on coal, which means many workers and local communities may suffer financially.The EU had previously put into place a mechanism to help countries in the Western Balkans and Ukraine transition away from coal, but that initiative ended in late 2023.
While the NGO group, led by environmental watchdog Bankwatch, supports the shift from fossil fuels to green energy, it insists that this transition be fair and inclusive to all workers and communities affected.
“There is an urgent need for the EU to renew and expand support for coal-dependent communities,” said Nevena Smilevska, a just transition coordinator from the Bankwatch Network.
She said local communities should be allowed “to thrive, instead of being left behind as the energy transition inevitably advances.”
One way of doing so is to educate and train workers so that they can find jobs in the green energy sector.
Last month, Bankwatch said no government in the Western Balkans has yet imposed any penalty on a coal-fired plant for air pollution, despite there being many cases of infringement.
Out of all six Western Balkan countries, only Albania has zero fossil-fuel based capacity.
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