Over 170 million euros will be invested at the state and local level in environmental protection projects, which is one of the 10 priorities that are part of the government’s “Action 21” initiative, announced Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

As Zaev said during the presentation of the program, as government they planned to commit to a strong and uncompromising fight for environmental protection.

The 2021 program for reduction of air pollution provides 100 million denars for facilities for municipalities to replace non-ecological heating systems, increase energy efficiency, renewal of urban greenery. In 2021, the investment in the replacement of non-ecological heating systems will continue and until 2024, no state institution will use polluting energy sources. The state budget will allocate 70 million euros for ecologically clean and fast bus system in Skopje and the subsidies and the implementation of the inverter air conditioners project for additional 5000 households will continue, said Zaev.

At the same time, Zaev said that institutional measures are being taken to more severely punish those entities that pollute the environment.

He also announced that next year the percentage of protected natural areas will be high on the list of priorities.