Western Balkan countries are progressively advancing climate policy frameworks, yet their pace and consistency vary across the region. Albania adopts a comprehensive National Strategy for Climate Change aligned with EU objectives; North Macedonia revises its Nationally Determined Contributions with ambitious emission reduction goals, though without an adopted climate law; Bosnia and Herzegovina updates its NDC but continues to face coordination challenges stemming from a complex governance structure; Croatia implements long-term strategic frameworks, yet the quality and consistency of local implementation remain uneven; and Montenegro establishes a national strategy while still lagging in operationalising its action plan.

Overall, the region is moving toward alignment with European climate ambitions but continues to encounter structural and capacity-related obstacles in implementation, coordination, and stakeholder engagement. The Climate Bridges – Network in Action project supports these efforts by strengthening regional cooperation, enhancing governance capacities, and fostering collaborative, transnational approaches to climate action.

The Climate Bridges – Network in Action project aims to strengthen transnational climate action and governance across the Western Balkans by enhancing cooperation, improving policy implementation, and building regional capacity. Building on the existing Climate Bridges Network, the project provides a structured framework for collaboration among civil society, institutions, and other key stakeholders.

Key activities include:

  • Development and implementation of nine public campaigns to raise awareness on critical climate issues like climate-neutral mobility and just transition;
  • Development of Local Green Agendas for two municipalities one in Albania and one in North Macedonia, fostering sustainable and inclusive green transitions;
  • Organization of four national exchange events and two transnational events to facilitate collaboration between civil society organizations, governmental bodies, and other stakeholders;
  • Production of a Best Practices Toolbox and conducting capacity building events to enhance knowledge and skills in climate mitigation;
  • Preparation of a manifesto on Transnational Climate Governance Action for the Western Balkans;
  • Establishment of a formal governing structure for the Climate Bridges Network;
  • Launch of a competition for good practices in climate policy implementation and cooperation, culminating in an award ceremony.

Through these combined efforts, Climate Bridges – Network in Action aims to create a more connected, capable, and resilient regional climate community, contributing to more effective climate action and governance across the Western Balkans.

The Climate Bridges – Network in Action project is implemented between December 2024 and March 2027 through a partnership of organisations from the Western Balkans and the European Union, including the Urban Research Institute (Albania), CIPRA International Lab GmbH (Austria), Green Istria (Croatia), and the Center for Climate Change (North Macedonia), and CENER 21. The total project budget amounts to 455,095.56 EUR. The project is financed under the European Climate Initiative (EUKI), which is part of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.