Novi Sad, 13 November — The first event titled “Green Agenda and Youth Engagement – Initiatives for a Sustainable Future” was held at Isidora Sekulić Grammar School in Novi Sad, as part of the Green Grow Awareness Days campaign within the project “Youth Engagement in the Digital Green Future 2.0” (Erasmus+, KA3).
The introductory presentation on Agenda 2030 and the European Green Deal from the perspective of sustainable agriculture was delivered by Nataša Heror, President of the NGO Media Pont from Novi Sad. In October 2025, NGO Media Pont hosted the international activity “Participation Days in Serbia,” focused on sustainable agriculture, making this event an opportunity to present major strategic documents through an agricultural lens.
Following the opening session, Aleksandar Bojić from UNDP introduced the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, highlighting opportunities for young people to initiate actions within their local communities and to explore professional development pathways after completing secondary education.
The event also featured a video message from H.E. Pernille Dahler Kardel, Ambassador of Denmark to Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. She emphasized the importance of youth engagement in societal development and reiterated Denmark’s commitment to achieving net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050.
In the final part of the program, Milica Živković from the Institute for Regional Development (Novi Sad) and Aleksandar Sarmeš, Manager of the Special Nature Reserve “Kraljevac”, presented the reserve’s annual activities. The reserve is managed by the Deliblato Lake Sports Fishing Association. Through short films shown during the event, participants learned about ongoing conservation efforts for the European pond turtle and ground squirrel, implemented with the support of numerous young volunteers from around the world.
Goals of the Campaign
The Green Grow Awareness Days campaign aims to introduce young people in Serbia to the processes driven by Agenda 2030, the European Green Deal, and the Green Agenda. It seeks to emphasize the importance of adopting sustainable habits in everyday life and to promote active youth participation in local communities.
The project “Engaging Youth in a Digital Green Future 2.0” is implemented within the Erasmus+ program, KA3 and is co-financed by the European Commission.
The event was organized with the financial support of the government of Switzerland within the „EU for Green Agenda in Serbia“ initiative. This initiative, with the technical and financial support of the European Union and in the partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional funding provided by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.
The event was organized with the financial support of the Embassy of Denmark in Serbia.