Welcome to the Zagreb Energy Week 2015

Dear citizens, distinguished guests of the City of Zagreb and esteemed participants of the Zagreb Energy Week,

it is a great honor and pleasure to welcome you to the traditional Zagreb Energy Week 2015, an event that is held with great success for the sixth year in a row.

The Zagreb Energy Week presents a complex mosaic of a whole range of activities with the aim of including all generations and stakeholders in a long-term fight against climate change. Our message “Development we don’t want to stop, but pollution we can!” calls upon joint action in implementing projects for sustainable urban development and the preservation of natural resources for future generations. The Zagreb Energy Week, which is to be held from May 11-16, 2015  contains in its rich program a number of international conferences, expert meetings, open door days, seminars, classes and workshops that deal with key subjects of energy and environment.

Today, the world is facing major and urgent issues such as global warming and climate change. Answers to these questions need to be identified through synergy on the national and local levels, by involving all concerned stakeholders and through active cooperation in the international arena. Rational use of energy, use of new green technologies and renewable energy sources are important tools and drivers of economic development, job creation and brighter prospects of our young generations.

The City of Zagreb Administration is determined to actively implement the measures of energy efficient development of the City of Zagreb and realize strong and successful cooperation with all of the relevant local and foreign subjects. The Energy Week provides a unique opportunity to the citizens of Zagreb, Croatia and the wider European region to learn more about the models and ways of achieving significant energy and financial savings, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the harmful impact on the environment. Numerous activities of the Zagreb Energy Week aim to raise the environmental awareness of citizens and stakeholders concerning the need to protect the climate and the environment and use energy and natural resources in a rational manner.

By accepting the Covenant of Mayors and as a Supporting Structure of the European Commission-Directorate General for Energy, the City of Zagreb has confirmed its commitment towards an energy efficient city development. Through active involvement in European initiatives, the City supports and implements appropriate measures in the aim of rational use of energy, achieving energy and financial savings, implementation of energy efficiency measures, renewable energy and environmentally friendly fuels as well as provides help and support to local and regional communities that show interest for the said topics.

The ambitious goal of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40% (in comparison with the reference year 1990.) by the year 2030., is only possible through an active inclusion and cooperation of numerous interest groups, economic subjects, educational and scientific institutions, non-governmental organizations and the citizens of as many as possible ecologically conscious cities. The City of Zagreb shall continue to aim at reaching the common EU goals as well as implement the EU policies and the energy-climate frame 2050 that leads to an energy more efficient, low carbon and more competitive market development, attracting new investments and providing a better life for the citizens.

The Zagreb Energy Week plays an important role in achieving these goals and is one of the important factors in the process of the City of Zagreb sustainable urban development. It shows the high level of mutual understanding of numerous partners, as well as inclusion and cooperation of all participants in an effort to present the citizens and all guests of the Zagreb Energy Week with real problems, as well as possible solutions that ensure secure and better future.

Welcome to Zagreb – I wish you a successful and eventful 6. Zagreb energy week 2015.!

 

Milan Bandić,
Mayor of the City of Zagreb