Call for banks and companies to invest together in the green transition of Serbia

 Belgrade, 17 April 2025 - With the support of the European Union and Switzerland, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is calling on banks, leasing companies, and public and private companies to jointly invest in bankable projects that contribute to the green transition. This call is part of the initiative EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia.

Call for banks and leasing companies to participate in the financing of bankable green projects

UNDP is calling on commercial banks and leasing companies to offer favourable loans to support bankable projects that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution, with a particular focus on air, preserve nature and establish sustainable food supply systems.

UNDP will offer technically mature and bankable green project proposals that require additional financing to banks and leasing companies that apply and fulfil the established criteria. Prior to this, these proposals will receive technical assistance to develop them into feasible, bankable and sustainable investments.

This approach enables banks and leasing companies to more easily identify bankable green projects and channel available funds into activities that contribute to the green transition, expand their service catalogue and attract new customers. In addition, these green projects may also receive financial support through the initiative EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia, which increases their financial security and makes them more attractive for receiving loans.

Call for companies to apply with green projects

UNDP is calling on private and public companies to apply with their green investment proposals:

A) if their proposal pilots and tests innovative technologies and combines different sources of financing, such as own funds, co-financing through the project EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia and commercial loans from banks and leasing companies;

B) if their proposal is mature and bankable and is suitable for loans from commercial banks, international financial institutions and other commercial financing sources (e.g. securities or green bonds);

C) if they require a detailed energy audit in order to apply for bank loans. Further details on the application can be found on the website Open calls under Public call to scale up green investments of commercial banks and leasing companies and Public call to scale up green investment projects.

Application deadline is 6 June 2025.

The importance of private capital participation in the financing of green transition

Since 2022, under the initiative EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia, the European Union and Switzerland have provided technical and financial support totalling USD 5.9 million to 87 innovative green projects from across Serbia, through four cycles of the Public Call for Innovative Solutions for the Green Transition of the Serbian Economy and Society.

Accelerating the green transition requires significant investments that exceed the capacity of public finances. Therefore, it is important to involve commercial banks and combine different sources of financing to bring more green investments to life.

The project EU for the Green Agenda in Serbia is implemented by UNDP with technical and financial support from the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional funding from the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.