The Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, addressed the participants of the UN Conference COP26
It’s a great pleasure to be here today and have the opportunity to welcome you all to such a significant climate change conference. The conference is held at the moment when, daily, we face the consequences of the pandemic, as well as the whole array of climate challenges ahead of us a difficult task for the future of the world.
That’s why it’s important to reach a joint agreement on how to accelerate global action against climate change in order to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius and prevent climate change from getting out of hand.
Challenges are different for each of our countries, but regardless, it is necessary to be on the same side in the fight against the climate crisis and act together. As it is necessary to set realistic and achievable goals, because significant financial funds will be required for the implementation, especially in countries with lower GDP per capita, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.
My country is making efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but in the next period, we will have to invest more energy and money to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. I am pleased to say today that Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered to the United Nations Climate
Change Frame Convention (UNFCC) this April confirms their determination to fulfill the Paris climate agreement.
By submitting this document, Bosnia and Herzegovina are one of the first countries in the Western Balkans to adopt an updated NDC with a plan to reduce gas emissions with a greenhouse effect of 33.2% by 2030. and almost 66% by 2050. years.
In order to meet the goals of climate change prevention, we are also working on enabling the transition towards sustainability and creating a favorable environment to attract private sector investments in clean, affordable energy. We will need significant international assistance when it comes to technology transfer, establishing financial mechanisms to encourage decarbonization and financial support for projects related to climate issues.
In order to further decarbonization of the energy sector, in November 2020. In the year, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Sofia Declaration, which made it a commitment to work together with the EU to make Europe a climate-neutral continent by 2050. years.
In this regard, one of the most important activities we are currently working on is creating an integrated energy and climate plan for the period of 2021-2030. years (NECP BiH). This document coordinates multiple goals: European unions in the field of energy and climate, United Nations Frame Conventions on climate change, Paris Agreement, and Energy Community.
Our Bosnian-Herzegovinian plan will define goals for increasing energy efficiency measures, increasing the share of renewable energy sources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. years, as well as the necessary policies and measures for their realization. The goal is to set ambitious goals for each of the Plan dimensions, which we consider to be realistic to be achieved by 2030. years, which will enable further development of the energy sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Here I would like to emphasize that as part of the creation of the National Energy and Climate Plan, Bosnia and Herzegovina is working on the creation of a road map for the transition of regions rich with coal. Such a transition of regions rich with coal and the complete energy sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina must be fair, and enable the transition from coal to renewable energy sources without losing jobs.
When it comes to the energy sector, for Bosnia and Herzegovina it is of the most important importance to define ways of financing the energy transition. The energy transition will require significant investments in low-carbon technology and infrastructure. In this regard, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a number of other countries, will need significant international financial assistance and support for the decarbonization of the energy sector by 2050. years with a special focus on the planned closure of the coal mine and the suspension of coal power plants.
It is undoubted that Bosnia and Herzegovina want to contribute to the fight against climate change, but we will not be able to do it ourselves, we will need support and cooperation with countries that can speed up this process with their knowledge and resources. And despite the fact that I don’t represent a country with such a large number of people, in efforts to stop climate change, it will be necessary that everyone contributes, and here you can count on us.
Thank you for your attention, and I wish everyone a successful rest of the conference, which I hope will remain enrolled in history as a milestone to save the planet.”
Napomena o autorskim pravima: Dozvoljeno preuzimanje sadržaja isključivo uz navođenje linka prema stranici našeg portala sa koje je sadržaj preuzet. Stavovi izraženi u ovom tekstu autorovi su i ne odražavaju nužno uredničku politiku The Balkantimes Press.
Copyright Notice: It is allowed to download the content only by providing a link to the page of our portal from which the content was downloaded. The views expressed in this text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Balkantimes Press.