Advancing Climate Change and Green Growth Priorities

The Western Balkans Plus Program is supported by Austria’s Ministry of Finance (BMF) and has the objective of advancing climate change and green growth priorities in countries of the Western Balkans and the broader Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. The program’s geographic focus is primarily driven by the unique socioeconomic context of these countries, and their need for targeted support to address the climate and environmental challenges arising from high fossil fuel dependency, infrastructure gaps, and strategies associated with the European Union’s (EU) Green Agenda. 

The program provides resources to support countries in adopting impactful policy reforms and undertaking investments to reduce GHG emissions, strengthen resilience to climate shocks, and improve environmental outcomes. It is closely aligned with World Bank lending operations in the region, advancing various policy priorities and addressing investment needs for climate and green growth through such operations.

Program priority areas are:

  1. Improving air quality and pollution management
  2. Promoting sustainable urban development
  3. Supporting policies, institutions, and jobs for sustainable green growth
  4. Mainstreaming climate resilience in selected sectors 

Countries Supported

The program was initially established to put the six countries in the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – in advancing sustainable development, decarbonizing their economies, and thereby aiding their EU accession. In 2023, the program was expanded to other countries in Europe and Central Asia with Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine so far.

What does program support look like?

The program is supporting both country-specific and regional activities. These include:

  • Policy support and investments to improve air quality
  • Scaling up solutions for integrated and circular approaches to waste management
  • Clean energy projects, including solar and hydropower development
  • Just transition analytics and investments
  • Decarbonization of the transport sector, including railway network policy reforms and investments
  • Protection of coastal waters, ecosystems, and forests   
  • Mainstreaming climate in public financial management
  • Supporting private sector participation in climate-related investments across key sectors

Impactful results aligned with country priorities

Since its inception, the program has helped:

  • countries in transforming their development trajectories by shifting to sustainable, resilient, and inclusive growth paths in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
  • design and implementation of fiscal and regulatory reforms to tackle socioeconomic barriers to climate-informed development and create incentives for green growth.
  • countries in the region to align with the EU’s climate and environmental policies and mechanisms.
  • directly support and inform climate-related investments contributing to greenhouse gas emissions reductions and strengthened climate resilience across key sectors.

By the numbers: 

  • More than 40 grants totaling $9 million are supporting 10 target countries
  • Grants linked to nearly $800 million in World Bank financing
  • Support for 15 policy reforms advancing climate and green growth across key areas including air quality, energy efficiency, green public finance, national climate legislation, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism
  • 1,765 Megawatts of renewable energy enabled through linked lending
  • 840,000 tons CO2e in expected net GHG emissions reductions from linked lending
Back to Programs