2nd Edition of Green Forum - Driving Kosovo’s Green Agenda Forward

06 February 2025

On January 30th,  Balkan Green Foundation hosted the second edition of the Green Forum, bringing together over 70 participants from different sectors to discuss ways to push forward the Green Agenda in Kosovo.

With a mix of keynote speeches, report presentations, a panel discussion, storytelling, and interactive breakout sessions, the event was designed to encourage active participation and meaningful conversations.

The forum kicked off with inspiring speeches from Venhar Nushi, representing the Prime Minister’s Office, who highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts in shaping environmental policies and strategies. Dominika Spyratou, Acting Director of the Balkan Green Foundation, followed with an overview of the project’s key achievements, emphasizing the need for collective action to make real progress.

Bridging the Green Agenda with EU Integration

One of the key moments of the event was the panel discussion titled “Bridging the Green Agenda with EU Integration: Advancing Kosovo’s Environmental Commitments.” Experts from different fields discussed crucial topics such as clean energy implementation, strengthening climate governance, carbon pricing, and Kosovo’s alignment with EU climate standards.

The discussion featured:

- Lulzim Korenica from the Ministry of Economy, who stressed that ensuring a stable electricity and thermal energy supply remains a top priority for the government. He shared updates on new energy sector laws, highlighting upcoming changes that will make it easier for consumers to produce their own energy.

-  Abdullah Pirçe from the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure, who spoke about the country’s decarbonization strategy. He emphasized that achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 will require strong political will and legal amendments, particularly regarding carbon pricing. He also noted that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is set to be introduced in 2027, which will impact Kosovo’s exports to the EU.

- Dardan Abazi from INDEP, representing civil society, raised concerns about the challenges within government institutions, including overworked staff, vacant positions, and donor-driven agendas. He also pointed out that two-thirds of public consultations go without comments, making it difficult for marginalized groups to participate effectively in policymaking.

Stories, Reports, and Interactive Discussions

A special session featured Sytrime Dervisholli, who presented the findings of the report “Green Agenda Implementation and Needs Assessment”, offering insights into Kosovo’s progress and challenges.

Additionally, a representative from BOTANIC LLC, a sustainable business focused on eco-friendly agriculture, shared their journey and impact—made possible through the Balkan Green Ideas initiative supported by the Balkan Green Foundation.

To wrap up the event, participants took part in structured breakout sessions, where they worked together to strengthen administrative capacity in the energy and climate sectors. These discussions focused on concrete actions that Kosovo can take to improve environmental governance, institutional capacity building, and cross-sector collaboration in policymaking.

The ‘Kosovo Green Action’ project is made possible by the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) grant and is implemented by the Balkan Green Foundation in collaboration with Open Data Kosovo and Lëvizja FOL.