The world is still far from achieving goals set in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and with the 2021 heat waves happening all over the world, we can see that nature is striking back. The climate crisis is real, and is out to get us. While building a sustainable system driven by renewable energy and green jobs is the dream, simply flicking the green switch is not that easy.

Countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina do not prioritize ecology as one of the most important means of survival. Our rivers are dried for the sake of hydropower, our air is polluted, the soil is demolished. Building “dirty” energy facilities is still used as a promise of progress and new jobs, while ignoring the effect they have on our health today and our very survival tomorrow.

In this POINT Talks, called “Building like there is no tomorrow: (Un)sustainable energy in the Balkans and beyond”, we will talk with activists, relevant experts, and legislators from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union about issues like air pollution and river protection. We will take a look at how the EU solves these problems within its framework, and what it expects from the aspirant countries.

On July 7th, 2021, at 1 pm CET, we will talk with: Lejla Kusturica, executive director of Atelier for Community Transformation (ACT); Zuzana Vachůnová from the NGO Arnika; Pippa Gallop from Bankwatch; Nikol Krejčova from Greenpeace Czech Republic; Jutta Paulus, member of the European Parliament (The Greens/EFA), moderated by journalist and ecology activist Amina Čeliković.