On the occasion of EmBuild project entering its final phase, a conference was held at the Main hall of Belgrade City hall on 7th of June 2018. Representatives of Energy Community, regulatory bodies of EU, responsible ministries of Republic of Serbia, local authorities, University of Belgrade, as well as experts and representatives of international and national organizations and institutions which finance projects in the field of energy efficiency in buildings, have gathered at this conference, titled “Energy efficient buildings – Plan. Invest. Renovate!”.

“The aim of the EmBuild project is to empower public authorities at the local, regional and national level in formulating energy efficiency renovation strategy for public buildings. Data confirm that 40% of all energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the European Union arise in private and public buildings. This is why one of the main guidelines of EU, defined by the European research development programme Horizon 2020, is to lower this consumption and pollution,” head of ths project in Serbia, proffesor Milica Jovanović Popović explained.

EmBuild project is financed by the European research development programme Horizon 2020, and supported by German development agency GIZ. University of Belgrade, as part of the international consortium of partners from Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany and Belgium, is represented in this project by faculties of Architecture, Mechanical and Electrical engineering.

Results of this project are significant inputs in development of National renovation strategy, which is one of the priority obligations of Serbia towards Energy Community, as its member. “In last two and a half years, in close cooperation with 24 municipalities and communication with all municipalities which are members of Standing Conference of towns and municipalities, we have been gathering data and developed three role model strategies for planning of refurbishment of public buildings for improving their energy efficiency, which will be available to all municipalities,” proffesor Jovanović Popović explained.