President Milanović Discusses Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection with Heads of Regional Energy Agencies

05. March 2021.
14:57

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended a meeting with the representatives of Croatian regional energy agencies at Bračak Energy Centre in Zabok. The meeting was held on the occasion of World Energy Efficiency Day, which is marked each year on 5 March to raise awareness about the importance of reducing energy use and the possibilities that sustainable energy use offers.

For the past thirteen years, Croatian regional energy agencies – in cooperation with counties, municipalities and towns – have been implementing sustainable energy projects and have invested more than one billion kunas in clean energy. It was emphasized at the meeting that energy agencies are successfully participating in numerous EU projects aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public infrastructure and developing new business models and financial instruments, which has made them the pioneers of energy transition in Croatia.

“Without energy efficiency, we cannot effectively adapt to climate change. The climate crisis is potentially the biggest global crisis that awaits us in the future. Experiences with implementing renewable and efficient energy and climate protection in Croatia, which regional energy agencies already possess, are a good example for everyone in Croatia at the local and national level that we can and must do even better when it comes to energy efficiency. Our children need better school buildings. The buildings we live in need to be both safe and energy efficient and our cities deserve to become energy-smart. Economic losses from weather and climate extremes in the EU already amount to 12 billion euros a year. Energy efficiency is what can help us adapt to climate change, so that we do not lose jobs but create them by increasing the standard of living of each one of us”, President Zoran Milanović concluded at the end of the meeting.

There are five regional energy agencies in Croatia that employ 70 experts, while in the EU there are over 350 such agencies, some of which have been in operation for more than 40 years.

“Today, there are four million “green jobs” in the EU. This includes around 1.4 million jobs in the energy sector related to renewable energy technologies and over 900,000 jobs related to energy efficiency activities. That is what we need to focus on. Croatia has the knowledge. The fact that Croatian energy agencies regularly coordinate development projects at EU level, provide services to the European Commission and are active throughout the European Union bears witness to this. Today, it is important that each one of us is aware that energy efficiency is better for him, for Croatia and also for the Earth”, underscored Julije Domac, the President’s Special Adviser for Energy and Climate and Director of the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA).

By harnessing energy more efficiently and using less of it, citizens can reduce their electric bills, help protect the environment, mitigate climate change, improve their quality of life and reduce the EU’s reliance on external suppliers of oil and natural gas.

As early as 2007, the EU set three key targets: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% (from 1990 levels); achieving a share of 20% renewables in energy consumption; improving energy efficiency by 20%. World Energy Efficiency Day has been marked each year since 1998.

The following representatives of regional energy agencies participated in the meeting with President Milanović and his Special Adviser for Energy and Climate Julije Domac: member of the President’s Energy Transition Council and Director of the Regional Energy Agency Kvarner from Rijeka Darko Jardas; Managing Director of the Regional Energy Agency North from Koprivnica Ivan Šimić; Director of the Međimurje Energy Agency from Čakovec Alen Višnjić; Deputy Managing Director of the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA) Velimir Šegon; Assistant Managing Director of the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA) Ivana Benković.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan