In order to reduce air pollution, Serbia should allocate more for the replacement of old stoves, instead of subsidies for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles, Ognjan Pantic from the Belgrade Open School told for N1.

At the end of last year, the initiative “Solution for pollution” ("Resenje za zagađenje"), launched a petition on the redirection of money intended for the subsidy for the purchase of electric cars, which has so far been signed by 50,000 people, according to Pantic.

He points out that traffic contributes to air pollution with only six percent at the national level, while household heating contributing significantly more.

"We do not underestimate traffic as a polluter, we have addressed this measure because it is aimed at a small group of people who can afford to think about it" Pantic said, talking about subsidies.

He explains that there have been changes since the petition was launched - the Ministry of Environmental Protection has allocated 400 million dinars for subsidies for the replacement of heating installations in public buildings, afforestation and reduction of pollution from individual furnaces.

However, it is problematic that only 100 million dinars have been allocated for the replacement of individual stoves and heating installations, says Pantic.

He adds that the Ministry of Environmental Protection has again allocated 120 million dinars in subsidies for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars in 2021, although only one sixth of the planned funds were spent on the same call for applications last year.

"The funds planned for electric and hybrid cars could be used to announce another call for applications for local self-governments in order to invest in individual households heating," he said.

Pantic says that 100 million dinars allocated for stoves have already been divided into 10 cities, and almost the same number of local self-governments that did not receive funds from the same call.

"There are certainly many cities in Serbia that could not even apply for this call, because it happened quickly, from February 2 to 16 this year," he added.

Watch the entire guest appearance of Ognjan Pantić on N1 HERE.

Author of the photo: Belgrade Open School