„Stop dirty energy – the future is renewable“ (2013.-…)
The goal of the campaign “Stop dirty energy – the future is renewable” is to bring the attention of citizens, experts, relevant institutions and other societal actors to the worrisome state of the environment and unsustainable energy system in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The campaign is founded and run together by Center for Environment from Banja Luka and Center for Ecology and Energy from Tuzla.
Center for Ecology and Center for Environment have been actively following all the steps and procedures in the process of construction of new thermal power plants as well as new blocks in already existing plants. This is done through an analysis of all legal procedures, especially when it comes to environmental impact assessments and compliance with domestic and international environmental law, while taking actions whenever irregularities occur.
At the same time, the campaign is aimed at raising awareness on the impacts which coal-based energy systems have on people’s health, the environment and economy, while promoting a sustainable energy system, based on energy efficiency increase and development of renewable energy sources.
The positions and requests of the campaign, aimed at the relevant institutions within BiH are:
- That the institutions uphold and respect energy-related obligations spanning from international treaties
- That the economic analysis for potential new energy capacities present an accurate cost of their construction and operation (including health and environmental impacts)
- to stop all new construction and planning of coal capacities, and redirect the investments towards energy efficiency and renewables.
| “We hereby call on the relevant institution that all current and future strategies be built upon increase of energy efficiency and utilization of renewables instead of dirty and unrenewable sources. We are firm in our opinion that only with a change of current strategies and policies can a future of high electricity prices, energy instability due to lack of fuel sources, destruction of environment and people’s health, be avoided. We stand for and advocate a future with a healthy planet and its people, together with a sustainable energy system that will not be dependent on shrinking supplies of highly polluting and dangerous fossil fuels. We call upon all those who share our goals and demands to join us in this campaign!” Denis Žiško, Center for Ecology and Energy, Tuzla |
WE MADE IT!
After the announcement of construction of a coal thermal power plant in Sanski Most, Center for Environment and Center for Ecology and Energy organized a public event in March 2018. On that occasion they presented the citizens of this municipality with all possible consequences this project might have on people’s health, water, air and soil. At that time, the citizens of Sanski Most made it clear that they will not stand for such a project in their municipality.
A little while later, in May of the said year, the Municipal Council of Sanski Most organized a special thematic session where activities connected to TPP Kamengrad were analysed, and a conclusion made, that: “any further activities regarding this initiative will not be undertaken without a consent of the Municipal council and the citizens of Sanski Most”.
The Municipal council assembly and the public hearing was predated by a petition, organised by “Udruženje građana za bolji Sanski Most” (Citizens organization for a better Sanski Most). In only three days, the petition was signed ny more than 1400 citizens of Sanski Most, including the citizens of the area where the plant’s construction was planned.
Despite all of that, one year later, the activities around this project were underway once more. This time, a letter of motivation was sent to the Sanski Most municipality by a domestic company, Lager d.o.o. from Posušje, and the Chinese “China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited International Company”. However, the assembly session of the Municipal council, during which the project was supposed to be presented, was canceled due to public pressure, and during a subsequent press conference, held by opposition party aldermen, one more, resounding, “NO” to the coal plant was repeated.
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„We welcome this reaction of citizens and their aldermen, and look forward to seeing Sanski Most as an example of resistance to dirty energy. We hope that other local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina will also become fully aware of health and environment-endangering projects in their surrounding, and will make the necessary turn towards renewables” Majda Ibraković, assistant in the Energy and Climate Change Program, Center for Environment, Banja Luka |
