Partners
Funding partner: BOOST is a regional impact acceleration programme powered by UNDP Europe and Central Asia. The programme’s core mission is to reimagine our future through impact innovation. BOOST is supported by the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF), financed by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic. The initiative aims to enable system transformation by deploying systemic approaches, engaging in cocreation processes, strengthening local ecosystems, and leveraging innovative sources of financing.
Programme Partner: CEF is a regional UNDP initiative that collaborates with cities across Europe and Central Asia to tackle complex urban challenges through strategic innovation and bold experimentation. It designs and applies novel approaches to explore, reimagine and finance sustainable urban futures. Through using systems thinking, developing portfolios of innovative solutions, and unleashing experimentation, we help cities build more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban centers across the region. CEF is part of STF, financed by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, which provides technical and financial support to address complex development challenges.
City Partners:
Stepanavan, Armenia: Stepanavan is working to build a clean, agro-economically vibrant, and waste-free community by activating local capacities for reuse, recycling, and regenerative production. The city aims to shift from a shortage of jobs, lack of investors, and limited digital technologies to a green economy developed with innovative and smart solutions.
Tashir, Armenia: Tashir seeks to improve waste management through waste reduction, sorting, recycling, and reuse, while ensuring the cleanliness and safety of the river flowing through the city. Its challenge is to move from a traditional and inconsistent waste management system to sustainable, circular, and incentivized services, especially for green SMEs.
Pristina, Kosovo: Pristina aims to reduce heat islands, improve air quality, support biodiversity, reduce flooding risks, and create a more resilient and livable city. The key challenge is transitioning from a traditional maintenance model and unequal green spaces to an integrated, socially distributed, and sustainable system.
Obiliq, Kosovo: Obiliq is focusing on reducing air pollution from two nearby power plants through nature-based solutions such as planting greenery, creating green spaces, and applying innovative tools and technologies. The challenge is shifting from pollution-heavy infrastructure and reactive governance to nature-integrated urban design and proactive, data-informed action.
Podgorica, Montenegro: Podgorica is reshaping urban governance and spatial development through climate resilience and citizen-centered planning, integrating nature-based solutions, digital tools, and adaptive land-use models. The city faces challenges of uncontrolled construction, urban heat, and rising emissions, requiring more resilient planning and collaborative governance.
Pljevlja, Montenegro: Pljevlja focuses on a just and green transition by diversifying the local economy beyond coal through sustainable industry, entrepreneurship, and tourism. Its challenge is poor air quality and reliance on coal, addressed by introducing energy-efficient measures, district heating, efficient public lighting, and sustainable building practices.
Gostivar, North Macedonia: Gostivar faces serious challenges with illegal landfills and unmanaged bulky waste, often burned and causing air pollution, harming public health, and occupying urban land. The portfolio seeks to move from illegal dumping and weak governance to structured waste collection, segregation, and land recovery for green spaces and circular economy opportunities.
Kavadarci, North Macedonia: Kavadarci, a major wine-producing municipality, faces environmental challenges with managing organic waste from wine production. The portfolio aims to transform grape waste into value-added products, reduce pollution, and create green jobs, particularly for youth, while linking circular practices to tourism and sustainability.
Kovel, Ukraine: Kovel faces high dependence on centralized energy systems, limited local generation capacity, and low community engagement in sustainable energy practices. The portfolio seeks to decentralize energy, support green entrepreneurship, and establish a community learning center on energy transition for resilience and inclusive growth.
Nizhyn, Ukraine: Nizhyn focuses on building community-wide energy resilience as a foundation for sustainable growth. The main challenges are aging infrastructure, high energy dependency, and war-related vulnerabilities, which it aims to address through decentralized generation, green economy development, and energy efficiency.