BGF part of the Berlin Process Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2022

03 November 2022

Berlin, Germany - On 1 - 3 November, Rinora Gojani, Programmes and Operations Manager at Balkan Green Foundation (BGF),  participated at the Berlin Process Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2022 as a reporter for recommendations on climate change.

This event is organized by the Aspen Institute in Germany and the Association of Southeast Europe with support from the German Federal Foreign Office. The CSF 2022 brought together more than 100 different representatives such as study groups, civil society and experts in the relevant fields to offer recommendations on the European integration process of the Western Balkan countries.

Some of the agreed-upon recommendations in this forum regarding the Green Agenda and climate change to be addressed by government officials in the region include: taking concrete measures toward decarbonization in key sectors such as heating, transport and industry;  removing administrative and legal barriers to the development of RES; organizing joint awareness campaigns as well as intensifying regional cooperation in terms of interconnectivity and cross-border air pollution. Other recommendations directed towards the international community and EU countries include the creation of climate partnerships between Germany and WB6 countries, as well as increased support for the energy transition in the region via technical assistance and knowledge transfer. It has also been highlighted that civil society and think tanks need to implement projects with a multidimensional approach to dealing with the impact of climate change; create mechanisms for collecting data regarding climate change impacts, and use legal tools to hold relevant stakeholders accountable.

These recommendations were presented at the second panel of the Berlin Process Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2022 taking place in Berlin.

After signing the agreement, Rinora, together with other reporters from the CSOs of the Western Balkan countries, met with the leaders from the Balkans and Europe at a reception where they presented the policy recommendations.