Are we getting further away or getting closer to the EU? Are we taking a step forward, but two steps back when it comes to Chapter 27 - the area of environmental protection and climate change? Our country's progress in Chapter 27 was discussed at the presentation of the Shadow Report for Chapter 27: One step forward, two steps back, organized by the Coalition 27.

According to last year's data from the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 3 million citizens of Serbia breathed excessively polluted air during 2020. We still don't have this Agency's official report for 2021, but we do have official data, and we can conclude that we breathed excessively polluted air in 2021 as well, and we expect that the new heating season will bring us worrying pollution again.

Looking into the beginning of the heating season and months in which air pollution is increased, we are organizing a panel discussion on air quality in Serbia and civil society initiatives in advocating for the solution to this problem.

The Belgrade Open School in cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce in Serbia, the ENECA association, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the international environmental organization The Nature Conservancy and the Young Researchers of Serbia implements the Together for the Environment project.

How exactly are environmental policies implemented? Are decisions made in a transparent way? Does the public have access to environmental information? Are we participating equally in decision making? Are those who are inducing environmental damage being punished?

Circular economy is a relatively new concept of an economic model that aims to reduce the consumption of natural resources, energy and waste generation by designing products and production processes so that raw materials are used as long as possible, while final products are repaired, maintained and materials are recycled after use

Energy transition represents the process of transition from a system in which non-renewable sources are dominantly used for energy production to a system based on the use of renewable energy sources.

Climate change is one of the three primary threats to biodiversity, the others being pollution and habitat loss due to overuse of natural resources. Serbia is a country with significant biodiversity, which is endangered by numerous threats, including the effects of climate change.

Research has shown that people are very aware of environmental problems, on different levels, but they don't know how to get involved.

Belgrade Open School has prepared an online lecture on Sustainable Development Goals, namely those concerning the protection of the environment in which we live. These are the goals that tell us how to stop the galloping consequences of climate change, how to keep our seas and oceans blue, and how to stop taking from nature more than we can give back.

The event Green MeetUp gathered more than 90 representatives from 51 associations who discussed the main environmental problems in communities across Serbia, but also the role that citizens have in the process of environmental protection.

In Serbia, the air is officially excessively polluted in 15 cities and agglomerations. This is the assessment of air quality for 2020, which we received from the Environmental Protection Agency in September 2021. For the assessment of the air in the previous year, 2021, we will wait for September this year. What kind of air we have been breathing so far this year, we will officially find out, you guessed it, only in the fall of 2023.

Civil society organizations gathered around the „SDGs for All“ Platform have developed a second Monitoring Report on progress of Serbia’s preparedness for the implementation of 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is often mentioned as the cornerstone of EU climate policy. It aims to reduce emissions through determining pollution prices produced by greenhouse gasses (GHG) from the energy sector, industry and aviation sectors.

Bor residents have been facing environmental pollution problems ever since mining began in the city. They breathe air of extremely poor quality due to exceeding the limit values of sulfur dioxide. The water supply is threatened by increased copper production that threatens to dry up Bor Lake.

Through the implementation of the „Green Incubator“ project, Belgrade Open School provides mentoring and financial support to local organizations throughout Serbia to work on improving public policies in the field of environmental protection.

On Thursday, March 17th, during the duration of the public discussion into the E-space reform Policy concept paper (Policy concept paper on Spatial and Urban Planning Reform in the Republic of Serbia) the documentation displayed for public discussion was removed from the website of the Ministry and the e-Consultation portal

Belgrade Open School, together with the local partner organization - Association of Young Researchers Bor, in the previous period worked on the Contribution to the Development Plan of the City of Bor. This document is a proposal for parts of the Development Plan of the City of Bor in the field of environmental protection.