Serbia has ambitious plans to improve energy efficiency, but their implementation remains uncertain. The “Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency for Citizens” (SURCE) project, launched in 2022 with the support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, was supposed to bring energy savings of 25-30% per household and improve the living standards of the population. Although 50,000 buildings are planned to be renovated by 2027, only around 12,000 households have benefited from the support so far. The subsidy system is accompanied by complex procedures, unclear criteria for distributing funds and a lack of transparency of state institutions. Energy poverty, which affects the majority of citizens, further slows down progress - many are unable to allocate funds for even half of the renovation costs. Expensive systems such as solar panels and heat pumps remain available only to the privileged and most households choose minimal and cheaper interventions, such as replacing the old boiler with a new one. More than 85% of the country's buildings still do not meet basic energy efficiency standards and the largest energy consumers are residential buildings built before 1980. Although some local governments report successes, the energy transition in Serbia is progressing slowly, with frequent improvisations and a lack of a clear strategy. Compared to European Union countries, the process remains fragmented and far from a true green transition. The article by Aleksa Tešić was originally published with the support of the project Enhancing the Capacities of Serbian Independent Media in Informing about the Green Transition Challenges by OzonPress.
