A group of leading companies and associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Net Zero Enterprise Alliance – met with BiH political counterparts and representatives of the EU today to encourage the development of clean green eMobility.
The Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk attended the meeting and said, “We recognise business as a crucial partner in reaching Net Zero and we will do whatever is within our responsibilities to facilitate private sector involvement in introducing clean technology and solutions”.
The EU supports efforts to cut emissions through the European Commission Mission 100 Net Zero Emission Cities initiative – of which Sarajevo was one of the selected cities. This requires substantial investments, at a level only possible through a combination of government and private funds.
The Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina Stefano Ellero said, “This week the levels of air pollution reached hazardous levels in Sarajevo. Air pollution is one consequence of the lack of action to address climate change and energy transition. As stated by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel at COP28 in Dubai, we must phase out fossil fuels and take decisive steps to protect the most vulnerable citizens worldwide. The engagement of members of the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina is critical. I am glad that the private sector is ready to step up, but they need more support from governmental authorities at all levels to unlock their full potential”.
The meeting was hosted by Porsche BH, which gathered Directors of DHL, UNIQA, UniCredit, Gazzda, e-GO , Procredit, and Sarajevo Film Festival, as well as representatives of the Sarajevo Canton authorities, including Prime Minister Nihad Uk. The members of the Net Zero Enterprise Alliance advocated for a number of concrete steps:
Getting rid of the red tape around permitting for eCharging stations for eVehicles – as has already occurred in Croatia and Slovenia (In BiH, the proportion of eCars on the market is at 2.4 % while in the EU it stands at 14%)
Targeted subsidies/tax breaks to convert ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles which are continuously used in the city to electric vehicles such as Delivery Vans and Taxis (according to data calculated by Porsche, taxis for example drive 2,100 kilometres per week compared to an average motorist in Sarajevo who drives 290 kilometres. This would lead to a reduction of 41,000 tonnes per annum of dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
A study of the needs of the grid and electrical network in order to plan for future demands for eVehicles (cars, delivery vans and buses) as diesel powered transport is responsible for 30% of all pollution in Sarajevo.
The Director of Porsche Bosnia and Herzegovina Senad Olovčić stated that “the Enterprise Alliance, whose membership is growing with each meeting, are fully committed to Net Zero Sarajevo, and recognise that almost 80% of all the change that needs to happen in the next decade to achieve Net Zero Emissions will be driven by the private sector. We expect that when we meet again in 6 months these 3 critical actions will be in process or completed”.
Sarajevo Functional Urban Area – which includes City of Sarajevo, Canton Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo – was selected from over 375 competing cities to join the European Union Mission: “100 Net Zero Emission Cities”. There are 100 cities from within the EU taking part in this initiative, as well as 12 cities in the EU neighbourhood.
