June the 3rd, 2024 – Croatian cities and municipalities are set to invest 23 million euros in climate change adaptation measures and programmes.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Domagoj Puljizovic writes, Croatian cities and municipalities will invest 23 million euros in the implementation of climate change adaptation measures, 17 million of which will be co-financed by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund.
On the basis of the public invitation published by the Fund back in February under the slogan “Green Streets/Zelene Ulice”, representatives of local units in the National and University Library in Zagreb, Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property Branko Bačić, Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition Marija Vučković and director of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Luka Balen, awarded 79 contracts.
Balen said that the Fund is implementing the project for the third year in a row as part of a series of measures in line with various ministries in the area of decarbonisation. “This year, we’re allocating 350,000 euros per project, which, in addition to planting trees and bushes, also includes the arrangement of walkways, bike paths, and public ta. As part of the two calls so far, around 143 thousand trees have been planted,” he said.
As far as the Croatian cities and municipalities in question are concerned, Split received the most money – 700 thousand euros. That Dalmatian city was followed by Međimurje County with 690 thousand euros, then Bjelovar with 570 thousand euros and lastly Dubrovnik with 553 thousand euros.
“When we talk about the green transition, it should be pointed out that the green transition, or decarbonisation, is one of the three fundamental priorities in the work of the European Commission, that is, the EU. Therefore, it’s also in the plan of the Croatian Government,” Bačić said.
Climate change poses an enormous threat to the entire planet, and in the Mediterranean area it is even more pronounced, recalled the Prefect of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Nikola Dobroslavić. “Dubrovnik-Neretva County received a contract worth 146,000 euros so plant trees along roads and on beaches. In addition to that, Dubrovnik and the Municipality of Konavle received contracts to fight the effects of climate change and encourage the green transition,” concluded Dobroslavić. The Mayor of Velika Gorica, Krešimir Ačkar, said that Velika Gorica received 370,000 euros for “greening”, of which 80% of the funds were secured from the contract.
“This year, we’ve already raised one contract where we have invested 470 thousand euros. We’ll try to plant at least as many trees as children are born in a year, according to the criteria we’ve set for ourselves,” Ačkar stressed.
