02.02.2023.
The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund concluded implementation contracts for 46 projects that for co-financing climate change adaption actions. The investments in question are worth more than 15 million euro, of which the Fund provided grant funding to the units of local and regional self-government in the amount exceeding EUR 11 million.“Since climate change is becoming more and more apparent, the goal is to invest in the urban, green infrastructure that will help in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to allow citizens to lead a healthier life in these circumstances. Great interest shown by towns and municipalities indicates there is significant demand for such programmes, and we will continue co-financing them in the upcoming period,” said Luka Balen, the director of the Fund.
The majority of approved projects pertain to rejuvenation of town and suburban areas, and the plan is to plant 33 thousand saplings. These initiatives are envisaged in the European Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy and planned to plant at least 3 billion more trees across the European Union by 2030. Croatia also committed to plant around one million tress per year. To uphold this commitment, the units of regional and local self-government that were granted resources from the Fund have to register and map every planted tree in the MapMyTree online platform of the European Environment Agency.
As part of the Fund’s public call launched in the second half of 2022, resources for the green infrastructure development were available, which included the investment in habitat conservation and restoration and formation of new green areas, including allées, urban forests and walkways, and safe spots in the case of extreme weather conditions (for example, heatwave shelters). In addition, around 400,000 EUR was available for the projects of green roofs that provide shelter from the Sun in public transport shelters, installation of public taps with drinking water, urban gardens projects, construction of pedestrian and cycling paths aimed at expanding urban and peri-urban tree canopies, and for the projects for informing and educating the public about climate change.
The many positive impacts of these types of projects will be the best incentive for other local units that will get the opportunity for co-financing in the upcoming years. By extending urban green areas we are not only contributing to environmental targets but also, and even more importantly, to improving human health and ensuring a better quality of life to citizens in urban areas.
