First Regional Conference on Climate-Resilient Cities

The 1st Regional Conference “Climate-Resilient Cities – Greening and Sustainable Mobility Planning” was held in Zagreb, organised by the Green Agenda: Supporting Western Balkans Countries to Adapt to Climate Change project (WB Adapt), commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in cooperation with the Transport Community, NALAS and CIVINET Slovenia–Croatia–SEE.

A day before the conference, partners met for a coordination meeting and joined study visits showcasing Zagreb’s good practices — from climate-resilient courtyards and cycling corridors to modern public transport and rail infrastructure. During this pre-conference programme, an important milestone was achieved with the official establishment of the NALAS Sector Expert Group for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Urban Mobility, strengthening long-term regional cooperation within the Regional Climate Partnership between Germany and the Western Balkans.

The conference opened with welcome remarks from representatives of the City of Zagreb, ODRAZ, the CIVINET network, the Regional Cooperation Council, the Transport Community, NALAS and GIZ.

On the first day, special attention was given to climate adaptation activities in sustainable urban mobility across the Western Balkans, implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Transport Community, NALAS and ODRAZ as the Secretariat of the CIVINET Slovenia–Croatia–SEE network.

Representing GIZ, Alexander Erlewein and Mila Knežević presented key activities and approaches for integrating climate resilience into urban mobility, emphasising the technical support provided to cities in the region through the WB Adapt project.
 

The programme continued with thematic presentations and panel discussions on climate resilient urban transport systems, sustainable mobility, and climate transport challenges. Speakers included representatives of the cities of Zagreb, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Pristina, and Zavidovići, as well as ministries and relevant institutions with an introductory presentation by Pedro Homem de Gouveia from POLIS.

The second and third day featured the Urban Mobility Academy, including practical sessions on climate resilience in sustainable urban mobility, regulation, emergency response in transport systems, and group work exploring links between mobility and climate resilience.

Key takeaways included:
🔹 Climate is still not high enough on the priority list when drafting strategies — but its importance is rapidly rising.
🔹 Climate resilience must be a right, not a privilege.
🔹 If cleaner air is truly a national goal, political and regulatory support must follow — backed by all available tools and a clear mandate from citizens.
🔹 Urban greening is already happening — change is possible.
🔹 A paradigm shift requires tackling legislative barriers, investing in expertise, and involving all stakeholders, including citizens.
 

With strong partnership, shared enthusiasm, and a clear forward-looking vision, we continue working towards new goals and building greener and more climate-resilient cities across the Western Balkans.