The Foreign Investors Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina is determined to support all initiatives linked to the transition to green energy, the circular economy and sustainability in a broader sense.
Given that the majority of our member companies come from EU countries, their experiences and knowledge ensure that, as an association, the FIC can provide a great contribution during the process of harmonising legislation in the countries of the region with EU Directives, Energy Policy and the integration process.
Our role can also be utilised in the process of creating a regional electricity market, which is considered essential for the energy transition process to run as smoothly as possible. Our members’ experiences can contribute to addressing many unresolved issues that await the country in the global decarbonisation process and just energy transition, such as the issue of future investments in renewable energy sources and the determining of carbon pricing (through the establishment of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) or through the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)) and the impact they could have on the country and the competitiveness of its economy. Through their positive practical examples and energy efficiency projects, our member companies have shown that, despite high energy consumption in certain sectors of industry, it is possible to reduce the overall carbon footprint and contribute tangibly to furthering the energy transition of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s FIC brings together more than 70 companies that have invested 4.5 billion euros and employ thousands across the country
Our companies participate in almost all significant conferences and other events related to this topic, providing domestic companies with information about energy saving opportunities and presenting the latest technical solutions in the field of renewables. Likewise, through our network of partnerships with international development agencies operating in BiH and international financial institutions, we endeavour to familiarise companies in BiH with the possibilities of financing energy efficiency improvements.
Our focus over the past two years, alongside the implementation of the aforementioned activities by our member companies, has been on promoting and advocating for the introduction of digitalisation in business and on the establishing of sustainable operations. Here we are referring specifically to three sub-areas in which we operate intensively: advancing investments in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency models; promoting and introducing ESG standards at companies in BiH; introducing a circular economy, i.e., transitioning from a linear to a circular business model.
When it comes to circularity, it is very important to us that, in addition to companies, the surrounding area in which those companies operate also be supportive and create the conditions required for this type of business model to be implemented, but also to attract additional new investors. This primarily relates to local communities that will start – whether through their own capital investments or through public-private partnership models – building the capacities and infrastructure needed to enable the applying of a circular economy, such as, for example, the possibility of using alternative fuels in industry through the construction of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) factories.