Serbia is warming faster than the global average; urgent measures are needed
According to current measurements, the average global temperature has increased by about 1.1°C compared to pre-industrial times. In Serbia, the average temperature has risen significantly more than the global average, by 1.8 degrees Celsius, while during the summer period, the increase can reach up to 2.6°C. The minimal material damage and losses incurred in the country due to extreme weather events since 2000 are already estimated at 6.8 billion euros.
Due to all this, Serbia must take measures to enhance its resilience to climate change. The Ministry of Environmental Protection is rapidly working on strategic documents, said Assistant Minister Dušan Čarkić at the session of the Alliance for Environmental Protection within NALED.
So far, the Law on Climate Change has been adopted along with all accompanying bylaws. The first Adaptation Program for changed climatic conditions for the period 2023-2030 has been developed, along with an Action Plan and a Low Carbon Development Strategy for the same period.
By the end of the year, the Strategy for Environmental Protection for the next ten years is expected to be adopted as the overarching document. The strategy anticipates total costs of 27 billion euros, of which around 60% are already accounted for in existing documents.
Slobodan Krstović, Director for Sustainable Development at NALED, emphasized that NALED highlights the reestablishment of the Green Fund as one of its priorities in the upcoming period. This fund would pool at least the fees paid by the industry and develop programs for the growth of local self-governments and the economy to work together towards decarbonization.
The Serbian supply chain from field to table emits six million tons of carbon dioxide annually, with as much as 66% coming from primary production, while the processing sector generates 24%, as shown by the Carbon Footprint and Sustainability Analysis in Primary Crop Production, initiated and prepared by NALED in cooperation with the consulting firm PwC, with support from the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Sida).
The analysis results showed that the application of a regenerative agriculture model can yield 10 to 20% higher yields per hectare within the first two to three years compared to traditional soil cultivation methods. Additionally, over a period of ten years, or nine growing cycles, production cost savings in the regenerative model compared to the conventional model can reach up to 47% annually.
The meeting also discussed the new CBAM regulation, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026, when taxes will start being levied on the emitted amounts of carbon dioxide for products entering the markets of European countries. This regulation will directly impact six industries: cement, iron and steel, electricity, aluminum, fertilizers, and hydrogen, but the entire Serbian economy will inevitably feel the consequences.
