Business Decarbonisation as a New Dimension of Regulatory Compliance and Market Competitiveness.
The support programme launched by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is intended for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that export to, or plan to enter, the European Union market. The programme represents one of the first structured initiatives aimed at preparing Serbian businesses for the regulatory and market demands of the green transition.
In practice, companies are increasingly expected to demonstrate:
- their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon footprint;
- the existence of a decarbonisation strategy or emissions reduction plan;
- the efficient use of energy and other resources;
- an understanding of the ESG expectations of their customers and business partners;
- measures undertaken to align with sustainable supply chain requirements; and
- their ability to identify and manage contractual, regulatory and reputational risks arising from climate- and environment-related obligations.
The programme provides expert support in the areas of greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, circularity assessments, energy audits and financial mentoring, enabling participating companies to assess their current position and develop a structured decarbonisation roadmap.
In addition to advisory support, the programme also envisages the possibility of awarding non-repayable grants of up to EUR 10,000, subject to the beneficiary’s co-financing, for investments in energy efficiency, equipment, software and other measures contributing to business decarbonisation.
Business decarbonisation is no longer solely an environmental issue! It has become a matter of regulatory compliance, meeting business partners’ sustainability expectations and maintaining competitiveness in the EU market. For many SMEs, initiatives such as this provide an important opportunity to prepare for the evolving regulatory landscape and strengthen their long-term market position.
For additional information or consultations, the Tasić & Partners team is at your disposal.