Conference Report

Air Pollution: Local response to the fight against climate change Conference Topics:

Integrated climate change and air pollution strategies: a winning combination - Air Pollution in Serbia – challenges we face

- Air quality and climate change: two separate topics, one unified community action Air pollution: a public health challenge in Serbia

- Unsettled account made by coal-fired plants in Serbia - Air quality evaluation and monitoring tools in Serbia

- Serving sustainable public policies: the mission of regional air quality monitoring agencies in France - Air pollution and children health care in Serbia

Which tools could be required in order to prevent air pollution at a local level?

- The Territorial Action Plan “Air, Energy and Climate” of Metz Metropole: a participative approach to fight against air pollution

- UNEP project - Example of best practice, City of Belgrade Moderator: Maja Barać Stojanović, Director General, CEDEF

March 21 2016, Media center, Belgrade st

Speakers:

- HE Christine Moro, Ambassador of France in Serbia - Prof. dr Ana B. Bovan, CEDEF President - Dejan Lekić, Assistant Director, Serbian Environmental Protection Agency - Sébastien Douche, Agglomeration of Metz - Vlatka Matković-Puljić, Project Coordinator for South and Central Eastern European countries, Health and Environment Alliance -Tihomir Popović, Air Quality Monitoring Department, Serbian Environmental Protection Agency - Guy Bergé, President, Agency Air Lorraine - Prof. dr Maja Nikolić, Director of education and science research, Public Health Institute Niš -Dr Miodrag Grujić, Secretariat for Environmental Protection, Belgrade - Slobodan Mišanović, project manager, PUC City Transportation Company “Beograd”

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVE:

Embassy of France in Serbia and Central European Development Forum CEDEF, have organized the conference Air pollution: Local response to the fight against climate change . Number of visitors at this conference has surpassed 90 people. With the presence of French and Serbian experts, this gathering has pointed out the crucial role of municipalities in defining integrated strategies together with local and civil society actors, in order to fight against air pollution and reduce global warming. This meeting has facilitated an easier exchange of experiences and good practices to combat climate change, through joint work on the close relationship that exists between the occurrence of air pollution and climate disturbances, which represent a real challenge at the local level. During the conference were also presented solutions, with special emphasis on the mechanism introduced in France in order to prevent air pollution at the local level. THE KEY STATEMENTS:

H.E. Christine Moro, the Ambassador of France in Serbia and prof. dr Ana B. Bovan, CEDEF President, have opened the conference. Ambassador Moro has indicated the relation between the climate change and air pollution that is revealed by the fact that the consequences of pollution, resulted from transportation, industry, agriculture, generate the same effects that influence the health and cause destruction of ecosystem and decrease in agriculture productivity. Of the grave importance is involvement of local government and citizens and their hard work on the improvement of air quality by joint action, raising awareness, education, regulation and control. She stated also, that this conference is a part of ongoing activities under the French presidency of COP21 and indicated the significance of signing the Agreement and providing the support to Serbian partners that will be of great help to them in fulfilling commitments under the Paris Agreement. She pointed out the next step that is completion and resolution of problems caused by airpollution, but also raising public awareness in order to motivate citizens to join the fight and reduce the consequences they experience daily and which affect theirs and their children’s health. Ambassador Moro has noted that today in Serbia, interested

parties have someone to turn to in order to fully understand the sources of the problem and the consequences they have on public health.

After the opening statements Dejan Lekić, assistant director of Serbian Environmental Protection Agency has stated that the Agency recognizes the problem of air quality as one of the greatest issues. The current air quality monitoring system in Serbia is today comprised of 40 monitoring stations and of one mobile laboratory. He pointed out that the monitoring in Serbia is good and that is supported by the fact that Serbia ranked 13 th out of 39 countries on the list in terms of the quality of the data submitted to the European Environment Agency. Unfortunately, despite the good monitoring, the results are not satisfactory. His colleague Tihomir Popović has contributed by saying that around 30% of the Serbian population, depending on their age, has issues with allergic reaction. In Serbia, two thirds of population enjoys quality air conditions, while one third of population lives in inadequate air quality areas. The situation is different in cities, where two thirds of citizens does not live in areas with good air quality. It has been concluded that the primary causes of the airpollution in Serbia are industrial pollution, power plants, transportation and particles from the private house and plant chimneys.

Our guests from France Guy Bergé and Sébastien Douche have spoken about their experiences and solutions, which were implemented by them in cooperation with French government, in order to solve issues regarding the air quality. They have pointed out that the air quality and climate change are two different challenges, but they require one coherent response from the community. Emissions of greenhouse gases have their affect on climate change, while local pollutants affect the quality of air. They have also mentioned their thorough Regional Climate-Air-Energy Plan that has allowed municipalities to take over activities related to construction, transport, public areas, public procurement of goods and services, waste management, but also raising awareness and education of citizens. Thus, that has enable them to further raise awareness about the issues that surround them and where global and local challenges collide. Regional agencies, entrusted with air quality monitoring in France, have several levels and are comprised of professionals from state, but also from local government. Apart from them, the civil sector, that covers environmental protection and works on implementation of monitoring and determination of measures to be taken, is also included. Prof. dr Maja Nikolić pointed out that the effects of air pollution are reflected in the occurrence of acute respiratory problems and chronic respiratory problems and concluded that air pollution adversely affects the health of children. She has also emphasized the need for parent education, exchange of experiences, informing the public, all with strict compliance with legal regulations in order to eliminate as far as possible unwanted consequences. Presentation of Vlatka Matković-Puljić was aimed at raising public awareness regarding the connection between the coal power plants and public health. The health of people in the Western Balkans was particularly in focus due to the fact that coal power plants in the region are on the top of list of the biggest air polluters in Europe. Having in mind the tremendous health care costs, there has been mentions of the great role that the health sector could play when it comes to solving this important issue.

Dr Miodrag Grujić presented the example of good practice of the City of Belgrade, as well as implemented solutions. The purchase of electric buses was the start of solutions regarding the traffic problems and Slobodan Mišanović has provided a more detailed view on this topic. Problem of boiler rooms is solved by connecting the schools on district heating, according to their technical capabilities and by environmental inspection decision there will be also bans on the work of boiler rooms due to the exceeded permitted emissions. He stated that the Action plan for adaptation to climate change with vulnerability assessment was adopted and informed the visitors about involvement of the city of Belgrade in the District Energy in Cities Initiative - UNEP. CONCLUSION:

Closing remark was made by prof. dr Ana Bovan. She pointed out the disproportion between requirements and material, time and technology resources, which are required for a more complete treatment of the air pollution issue. The French example of integrated policies and harmonized data from different sectors, would result in improvement of cooperation and better outcomes in the field of health, economy and environmental protection. It is the belief of all the debaters, that raising the awareness of air pollution to a higher level is crucial, as well as the deliberation of the issue in the context of battle against climate change in general. In order to accomplish this, there is a need for greater legislation enforcement in the field of air pollution, increased compliance with the EU rules and greater political courage and responsibility at the local level. As in France, whose useful examples auditorium had the opportunity to hear, the global policies are finally being implemented at the local level.