Today (Monday, September 22), the 3rd Sarajevo Energy and Climate Week (SECW) was officially opened at the Hills Hotel Ilidža, and will last until September 26.
This important energy and climate event brought together numerous experts from different sectors to discuss concrete steps to be taken in the fields of energy and climate change over five days, 19 panels and 13 side events, events and meetings, with a focus on just transition, upcoming taxes through CBAM, ETS, as well as critical mineral raw materials.
This year’s SECW is organized under the high patronage of the Member of the Presidency of BiH, Dr. Denis Bećirović, who previously stated that such events are extremely important for building a secure sustainable and energy-independent Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This year, the organizers of SECW were greatly honored as the European Union joined as the lead partner of the SECW 2025 conference, while Energoinvest is the gold partner of the conference.
The first day of SECW is dedicated to the topic Strategic Framework for Decarbonization, while the following days will focus on innovative pathways to decarbonization, just transition, critical mineral raw materials and shaping the future of the energy sector. The fourth day will be held at Energoinvest and is dedicated to the doyen of Bosnian and world energy, Emerik Blum. The fifth day of SECW and the final event will be held at the Chamber of Economy of the Federation of BiH, where the important topic of shaping energy security and independence will be discussed.
“This conference is an opportunity to further affirm the strategic commitment of the Government of the Federation of BiH to energy security, transition and sustainable development. I am convinced that the representatives of the Ministry will make an important contribution through their participation to the discussions and joint creation of solutions,” said FMERI Minister Vedran Lakić.
“The European Union remains a committed partner to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its energy and climate transition. Sarajevo Energy and Climate Week provides an important platform for bringing together institutions, experts, businesses and civil society in shaping policies and advancing concrete actions toward a greener and more sustainable future. Through dialogue and partnership, we support Bosnia and Herzegovina in building an energy system that is secure, resilient and aligned with its European path,” said Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After the opening ceremony, a panel discussion of ambassadors titled “International Support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Energy Sector” was held. The panel discussion was moderated by Mirza Ustamujić, Director of Energoinvest. The panel was attended by distinguished excellencies Jana K. Lolić Šindelkova, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kathrine Biering, Ambassador of Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Helena Lagerlöf, Ambassador of Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Julian Reilly, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
For the third year in a row, SECW enjoys the support of the World Energy Council, and this year Ms. Sandra Winkler, Senior Director of the World Energy Council, addressed the event and spoke about preparations for the energy transition, global energy developments and prospects for global energy transitions and partnerships. She said that the intensive industrialization of world economies over the past two centuries has contributed to serious and highly destructive climate changes, whose negative consequences are slowly outweighing economic gains.
On behalf of the World Bank, Mr. Christopher Sheldon, World Bank Manager for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, addressed the audience and delivered an introductory speech on the topic “From Strategy to Implementation: Challenges in Decarbonizing the Energy Sector”.
The first panel of this year’s SECW was dedicated to the highly topical issue “The Challenge of Climate Change and the Future of the Power Sector in BiH”. The organizer of this panel discussion was the Office of the Special Representative of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with technical support from the EU-funded project “EU4Energy”.
Introductory presentations were delivered by Admir Softić, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nikos Tsakalidis, Team Leader, EU-funded project “EU4Energy”, and Branko Debeljak, General Director of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant, Velenje, Republic of Slovenia.
With a very interesting overview of key topics, the panel explored the regional approach of countries and their stance on the gradual phase-out of coal, including the progressive shutdown of coal-fired thermal power plants and mines by 2050. The obligation to implement CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) and introduce the EU ETS (European Union Emissions Trading System) was considered, analyzing how these mechanisms will affect the energy sector and coal mines in the process of aligning these activities with the goals of the Integrated Energy and Climate Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NECP BiH), as well as sharing experiences from the region/Republic of Slovenia with implications for the coal sector. The panel clearly sent the message that CBAM, as well as all other CSRD/ESRS regulations, do not stop with the European Commission’s OMNIBUS, and that, as a key panel, it emphasizes that the main actors in the sector must continue aligning with the EU green transition if they want to remain competitive in the EU market.
The event brings together more than 200 international experts and representatives of governments, industry, civil society and the academic community, making SECW an indispensable event for all those who want to contribute to the climate and energy future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. This year, SECW brought together a wide range of companies, institutions and individuals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, the EU, the wider European area and countries of the Middle East.
It is expected that around 1,000 participants will visit the conference over five days. The agenda of the entire event is available on the official website www.secw.ba, and the conference room capacities are fully booked.
