Environmental awareness is growing steadily in Serbia, but true sustainability requires more than solar rooftops and policy declarations. The path to green development is paved with complex questions of accountability, resilience and long-term responsibility.
Serbia stands at a critical environmental crossroads. On one hand, there is encouraging momentum in the development of renewable energy—wind farms are expanding, rooftop solar panels are multiplying, and interest in green technologies is becoming more mainstream. On the other, this visible progress is being complicated by deeper structural and policy challenges: the spread of environmentally risky mining projects, gaps in institutional capacity, and an overreliance on imported energy and short-term investment logic.
As European countries increasingly lean on renewable energy and set ambitious climate targets, events like the recent blackout on the Iberian Peninsula serve as a cautionary tale. They underscore the complexity of maintaining energy stability in a system heavily dependent on wind and solar— and highlight the strategic importance of hydropower and grid flexibility. These lessons are particularly relevant for Serbia, which possesses untapped hydropower potential but has yet to fully integrate into Europe’s clean energy framework.
Rather than being treated as a periphery of Europe’s green ambition, Serbia and the Western Balkans should be empowered to contribute to the continent’s energy resilience. However, this requires more than infrastructure— it requires trust, transparency, and a clear policy vision that balances national development with regional cooperation. Investments must not only be bold but also aligned with environmental and technical standards that reflect local realities.
Too often, “green” initiatives in the region are implemented through mechanisms that prioritise compliance on paper while absolving actors of responsibility for real-world outcomes. Similarly, trade measures such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), though designed to encourage decarbonisation, risk undermining regional investment unless implemented with nuance and fairness.
What Serbia needs is a forward-looking strategy—one that combines energy independence, innovation, and industrial competence. It must move beyond simply following policy templates drafted elsewhere. Without clear investment in energy storage, transmission infrastructure and environmental enforcement, the country risks being locked into a role of passive provider rather than strategic partner.
The paradox is this: Serbia is rich in natural and human resources that could support a just transition, but unless these resources are stewarded with care and foresight, the green agenda could come to resemble just another form of exploitation. Sustainability, after all, must begin at home—not only in kilowatts and emissions targets, but in values, institutions and shared responsibility.