Report: Kosovo is not doing enough to reduce its dependence on coal

2023-11-27 17:27:02, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kosovo, as well as the two other Balkan countries Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are not doing enough to reduce their dependence on coal and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to a report by the Climate Action Network (RRVK).

The report of the non-governmental European coalition, which fights climate change, states that Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia have not met the goals set in the National Climate and Energy Plans (PKEK), and have made little effort to create concrete strategies for put coal out of use.

“Continued dependence on outdated and inefficient coal hinders the much-needed transition to renewable energy sources in the region. This undermines the feasibility of implementing carbon pricing policies, which are not properly addressed in PKEK", the report states.

In Kosovo, PKEK does not offer a comprehensive strategy for decommissioning lignite, a soft coal that Kosovo has a lot of, while expectations are that power plants will remain in operation beyond 2040, the report says.

"This lack of strategy underscores a major lack of Kosovo's commitment to decarbonization," according to the report.

Bosnia, the only country in the region that exports electricity, produces 60 percent of its electricity through coal-fired power plants and the rest through hydropower.

Kosovo and Serbia produce 90 percent and 70 percent, respectively, of electricity through coal-fired power plants, while the rest through hydropower plants and solar and wind power plants.

The report pointed out that, while Kosovo and the other two Balkan countries had outlined in their plans general intentions to switch to green energy, pledging to stop investing in coal-fired power generation, they failed to provide data details on the scale of capacity and strategies for introducing renewable energy into the grid./ REL