We are confident the regional campaign will help strengthen our activities, improve the knowledge of our team, and bring us new experiences. Hopefully it will also raise awareness on the air pollution issue within the Western Balkans, which is crucial in overturning current worrying trends.

Aleksandar Perovic

The Ozon ecological movement was founded on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, 16th September 2006, aiming to solve the air pollution in Niksic, then predominantly caused by the Zeljezara Iron Processing Plant.

A series of activities including public gatherings, panels, meetings with institutions and factory owners resulted in procurement of a gas purifying system within the factory, and the removal of one of two dated furnaces.

With greater support of citizens across the country we began to spread nationally, making our organization one of the most recognizable in the environmental sphere.

Our projects and activities draw significant media attention, which confirms the quality and choice of current topics we tackle.

We are very proud of our educational programs – School of Ecological Activism, School of Human Ecology, School of Urban Ecology. We have also developed two programs for teacher training – Waste Management Education, which was included in the National Catalogue for Teacher Training by the National Education Council; and Waste Water Education, which supported the project for building purifying machinery for waste water in Podgorica.

We are also proud to regionally cooperate with Arhus Centers in Southeast Europe, focusing on spreading and exchanging information in the area of climate change and the environment.

Joining the Balkans United for Clean Air campaign has been of great significance for our organistion as it aims to affect one of the gravest ecological problems, additionally complicated by the Covid-19 healthcare crisis.

Our citizen program Ekoskop continues to analyse data gathered within the State Network for tracking air quality, and we persist with media campaigns to raise public awareness. During the winter season of 2019/20 we have developed a method which focuses on air pollution caused by solid fuels, and have started a campaign which supports more ecologically appropriate heating solutions.

We are confident the regional campaign will help strengthen our activities, improve the knowledge of our team, and bring us new experiences. Hopefully it will also raise awareness on the air pollution issue within the Western Balkans, which is crucial in overturning current worrying trends.

We expect this campaign to affect decision makers, especially in recognising the high priority this issue should be, as well as regional cooperation on the matter.

We hope to fulfil our goals to the highest quality, and be rightful participants in this regional campaign.

 

Aleksandar Perovic, one of the founders of the Ozon ecological movement; director of the Organisation since September 2008. Dedicated to increasing public involvement in environmental decision-making.