Skopje Climate Assembly

The City of Skopje often tops the lists of air pollution ratings, but the poor air quality is a result of deep environmental, social, and political issues in the country. Air pollution in North Macedonia— which is among the highest in Europe—has led to a high rate of air pollution-related deaths caused by the widespread use of fuelwood heating by households in urban areas. Fuelwood, due to its cheap price, is considered a ‘social fuel’ and thus is used by households in energy poverty to keep their energy costs low. This issue of material deprivation and environmental degradation might at first seem to affect only a minuscule number of households, however, in reality it is a challenge of grave proportions as half of the households in North Macedonia face energy poverty.

To address this challenge, ZIP Institute organised the first citizen’s assembly in North Macedonia. The key question for the citizens to deliberate on was: What can the government do to lower air pollution in Skopje?

As a mechanism of innovative democracy designed to involve citizens in the decision-making process, the recommendations crafted by Skopje Climate Assembly were identified, written, discussed, edited, and voted on by the participants themselves. The recommendations represent their perspectives, ideas, aspirations, and visions for the city of Skopje.

The recommendations are:

Energy:

1. Expand the workforce (inspectors) in the Environmental Inspectorate to ensure comprehensive coverage of duties and field visits (surprise inspections). (100% of votes)
2. Scale up the availability of waste separation containers (for plastic, paper, glass, and organic waste) to be within a maximum radius of 250 meters from residential buildings. (100% of votes)
3. Develop a plan to affirm all public buildings are equipped with energy-efficient facades. Execute the plan in accordance with yearly deadlines. Install photovoltaic systems to power public buildings already equipped with energy-efficient facades. (100% of votes)
4. Install solar panels for street lighting to harness the sun's free energy. (100% of votes)
5. Extend the central hot water heating network and facilitate the connection of households in wood-heated areas of Skopje. (100% of votes)
6. Update the heating billing system and provide subsidies for heating meters in every household (calorimeters installed at end users). (100% of votes)
7. Provide subsidies for improving thermal insulation through heating, renovation, rehabilitation, and facade restoration projects, based on successful implementations with positive outcomes. (100% of votes)
8. Increase investments in renewable energy projects and prohibit the installation of photovoltaic systems on fertile soil (and prevent other legal circumventions). (100% of votes)
9. Implement the installation of 24-hour automatic measuring instruments at all emission points for entities holding A or B integrated environmental permits (IED). (90% of votes)
10. Introduce legal amendments mandating all new residential buildings to include a central heating connection, irrespective of the presence of a thermal energy heating system during construction. (90% of votes)
11. Implement rigorous monitoring of firewood stockpiles to improve wood quality, moisture levels, and traceability of sources. (90% of votes)
12. To embrace the adoption of regulations to facilitate the enforcement of the Law on Energy Efficiency. (80% of votes)
13. Review EVN's monopoly status and simplify bureaucratic processes for applying for photovoltaic installations. (80% of votes)
14. Building a waste-to-energy plant (incinerator) to generate clean energy. It should be designed to prevent the release of pollutants into the air, soil, and water, minimize odors and noise, and safeguard the health and well-being of people. (70% of votes)

Transport

1. Integrate the current railway infrastructure into Skopje's public transportation system in 4 stages. (100% of votes)
2. Increase the bicycle and pedestrian path network locally and nationally through a two-phase plan. (100% of votes)
3. Schedule Communal Hygiene and Parks and Greenery activities, along with loading and unloading of goods from public/commercial trucks, outside of peak traffic hours. Implement city-level regulations (decision) for this purpose. (100% of votes)
4. Implement more pedestrian zones around educational facilities in three phases. (100% of votes)
5. Clear pedestrian and bicycle paths from obstructions such as stalls, billboards, advertising panels, bars, and terraces. (100% of votes)
6. Reactivate the bicycle rental project. (90% of votes)
7. Restrict the central city area (Record, Macedonia St. Plostad Makedonija and Ibni Pajko area, Vasil Glavinov St., 11 Oktomvri, and adjacent streets) to public transport only, while neighborhood streets are designated for resident vehicles exclusively. Implement recommendations in two stages. (80% of votes)
8. Establishing an information office in the City of Skopje to provide analyses and communication channels with citizens. (80% of votes)

Public Health

1. Implement a systematic, intensive, and consistent street cleaning regimen. (100% of votes)
2. Amplify urban greenery, including park-forests, parks, green squares, tree-lined streets, green corridors, and protective vegetation, tailored to Skopje's climate, geography, and citizen's specific needs, including settlement patterns and allergens. Prioritize greenery maintenance and the installation of green facades. (100% of votes)
3. Implementing regular and large-scale afforestation initiatives with active citizen involvement, alongside efforts to clean and green the area known as "Dumpsite Vardarishte".(100% of votes)
4. Allocation of micro-spaces for recreation. (100% of votes)
5. Improve and expand the bicycle network by establishing robust infrastructure. (100% of votes)
6. Implementing the installation of microsensors capable of measuring ambient air pollution, noise levels, temperature, and humidity. (90% of votes)
7. Implement the construction of a municipal wastewater treatment plant in the City of Skopje. (90% of votes)
8. Boost the development of the Drisla sanitary landfill and implement a program for separate collection of municipal waste to facilitate recycling initiatives. (90% of votes)
9. Launching health and environmental awareness campaigns aimed at disseminating crucial information and promoting public health improvement. (80% of votes)
10. Enforce stricter adherence to existing legislation and regulations while also proposing amendments to laws pertaining to urban greenery and food safety. (75% of votes)
11. Conduct human biomonitoring of occupationally exposed or high-risk segments of the population, bolster and expand current initiatives outlined in the National Public Health Program, and lessen indoor air pollution, particularly in educational institutions such as kindergartens and schools. (75% of votes)

Read the full citizens' report here.

If you have any questions or feedback please leave a comment or send us a message. If you would like to submit feedback anonymously,you can do so here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/CitizenassemblySkopje2024