27.03.2024.
The conference entitled the “7th Open Partner Dialogue - Time for a Green Renewal” that was organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets gathered more than 150 participants, experts and different stakeholders, who could hear news about the renovation programmes in terms of energy performance and earthquake reconstruction, as well as about green policies and future challenges in the building sector. Participants included Branko Bačić, Deputy Prime Minister and minister of physical planning, construction and state assets, Damir Habijan, the minister of economy and sustainable development, Luka Balen, the director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, and Katarina Sikavica, managing director of the Construction Sector at the Croatian Chamber of Economy.During his presentation, director of the Fund Luka Balen highlighted the Fund’s focus on green policies that include energy efficiency projects aimed at climate change mitigation and adaption. “More than 12,000 applications were received to the Fund’s call for the energy renovation of family houses. As we had a record budget of EUR 120 million, the plan is - as our slogan “On the house” says, to treat close to 10 thousand family homes to a renovation. This means that more than 40,000 citizens will get the chance to lower their overhead costs and improve the quality of their lives. The interest of this magnitude is also an indicator for the Fund to continue with incentives for citizens on the path to not only energy efficiency, but energy independence as well," Balen concluded.
Minister Bačić stressed that the ministry was giving priority to the green transition in its activities and announced a new call for proposals for the energy renovation of apartment buildings. "The call is worth 94.2 million euros, while 91 projects that applied for and met the requirements of the 2022 public call but failed to receive co-financing at the time, will be co-financed with an additional 25.7 million euros. The programme aims to decarbonise and reduce GHG emissions and reduce the consumption of hydrocarbon energy sources. This will, first and foremost, contribute to the energy independence of Croatia and also, even more importantly, ensure a better life and standard for our citizens. In the reconstruction of buildings damaged by the earthquake, we recognised the opportunity to renovate such buildings not only structurally, but in terms of energy performance, so we have provided significant European and national funds for this purpose," Bačić said.
At the panel, the minister of economy and sustainable development Damir Habijan reminded that the Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia clearly defined the goal of 2500 new MW for the production of electricity from renewable sources. "Croatia will be able to achieve this by 2028, largely owning to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and other investments in the transmission power grid."
Three expert panels were held as part of the 7th Open Partner Dialogue, with the first one entitled "It’s on the house! - follow up" on the topic of energy renovation of family houses. The introduction to the panel was a short presentation by Mladen Ilijević on the results of this year's receipt of applications, followed by the participants’ discussion about the benefits that homeowners could expect from the implementation of energy renovation measures. The panel was moderated by Sunčana Matić from the Fund, and other participants, apart from Ilijević, included Diana Horvat from MPGI, Martina Brala - licensed design engineer, Gordana Tropčić Zekan - certified energy performance assessor and design engineer, and Hrvoje Krapanić from the company Daikin Hrvatska d.o.o.
Panellists at second panel entitled "Good savings are far-reaching!” included Katija Jaram from MPGI, design engineer Toni Borković, Dolores Sorić from Labin stan d.o.o., Marina Glokević - representative of apartment co-owners, and Andrijana Mavretić Mujčinović from Zagrebačka banka, while the third panel, entitled "Taking it up a notch", was attended by Branko Bačić, deputy Prime Minister and minister of construction, Damir Habijan, minister of economy and sustainable development, Luka Balen, director of EPEEF, Irena Križ Šelendić from MPGI, and Katarina Sikavica from CCE.
As part of this event, the accession of new partners continued with the formal signing of the Charter of Cooperation for the Decarbonisation of Buildings by 2050 by five new partners - the European Commission Representation in Zagreb, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, licenced design engineer Martina Brala, the Town of Petrinja, and the company Holcim Croatia.
