- Sarajevo Canton to join EBRD Green Cities
- Action plan to identify environmental priorities launched
- Sarajevo to host 2019 EBRD Annual Meeting in May
With the launch of a dedicated action plan Sarajevo Canton has joined EBRD Green Cities, a framework helping cities to articulate a sustainable development vision and their strategic objectives as well as defining actions and investments necessary to address priority environmental issues.
As a first step the plan will identify the Sarajevo Canton’s environmental priorities using indicators developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an economic organisation, and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), a global network of cities.
The aim is to develop long-term visions (10 years), mid-term targets (5-10 years) and short-term actions (1-5 years) together with local stakeholders, including civil society organisations. The action plan will be developed over the course of approximately 14 months before being considered for adoption by the Sarajevo Canton.
Additionally, a study will be commissioned to explore the impact on air flow and quality across the basin in relation to wind ventilation corridors and implications for construction of high-rise buildings.
The plan was formally launched by the Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Edin Forto, the ambassador of Japan in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hideyuki Sakamoto, and EBRD representatives. It will now be followed by a technical workshop at which the team of experts will detail the methodology and activities and will discuss the areas where the Canton feels most attention is needed.
Sarajevo is the third city in Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the EBRD Green Cities framework and begin the development of a Green City Action Plan to identify, prioritise and address its most pressing environmental challenges.
Green Cities is an EBRD programme offering a comprehensive business model for green urban development, combining strategic planning with investments and associated technical assistance. To date, 20 cities have been signed up to EBRD Green Cities (in a variety of ways with 16 investments already signed, 3 completed GCAPs, and 12 more GCAPs underway).
The 2019 EBRD Annual Meeting will take place in Sarajevo on 8 and 9 May. Green Cities will host an associated event on 8 May before the start of the official programme. It will provide an opportunity for the Sarajevo Canton to discuss towards a greener and smarter metropolitan area.