Mayors from across the Western Balkans signed a declaration in Durrës on September 22 launching the Green Mayors Alliance, a new regional platform convened by the OSF–WB. The Alliance will help municipalities cut emissions, expand renewable energy and ensure a fair, people-centered transition aligned with the European Green Deal.

DURRËS, Albania, Sept 22 – Mayors from across the Western Balkans signed a joint declaration on Monday launching the Green Mayors Alliance, a regional platform to accelerate the green transition through municipal leadership and cross-border cooperation.

The signing took place at the Green Mayors Forum (21–23 September) in Durrës, convened by the OSF–WB, which brought together more than 100 municipal leaders, school representatives, civil society organizations and energy experts.

Mayors call for community-driven action
Mayor of Elbasan Gledian Llatja said: “We acted on climate change because people asked for action. In partnership with OSF–WB, we installed solar panels on several school rooftops and organized a competition between schools. Those that reduced electricity consumption received additional municipal investments. Children convinced their parents to be energy efficient in how they use energy and even how they buy appliances. We started small and now our ambition is to establish an energy community, the first one in the country.”

Mayor of Bitola Toni Konjanovski said: “We are in the heart of the coal power production region and for us the energy transition is both a strategic need and a complex challenge. Sunny Schools and similar initiatives show how change can happen at community level. The municipality is exploring several green solutions, including electric public transport and insulation of old buildings. Our goal is to prepare citizens to navigate the future in a just and sustainable way.”

Deputy Mayor of Valjevo Djordje Milanovic said: “Sunny Schools is an entry point for a bigger change in the energy transition. Connecting PV to the grid is still a challenge in Serbia. The city is providing district heating solutions that reduce pollution and make wood burning unnecessary, using several national subsidy programs to scale the transition.”

The mayors also identified bottlenecks holding back climate action, including limited municipal budgets, bureaucratic and institutional hurdles, difficulty in mobilizing land and the legacy of outdated investments.

Joint Declaration sets out commitments
The Joint Declaration of the Founding Members of the Green Mayors Alliance affirms that the green transition is an opportunity for prosperity and cooperation. It commits municipalities to advance energy democracy by supporting citizen-driven models such as Sunny Schools and other community energy initiatives.

Mayors pledged to act boldly for net zero with local climate plans, emissions cuts and people-centered infrastructure. They also vowed to unlock access to EU and international green finance, while ensuring fairness so that coal-dependent areas, underserved communities and vulnerable groups are not left behind.

The Declaration frames the Alliance as a locally rooted and regionally coordinated platform, open to all municipalities that share its vision.

Alliance seen as chance to deliver change
“The green transition begins in schools, neighborhoods and town halls. It is about people and improving the quality of life in our communities. Citizens are ready; they are waiting for leadership. With the Green Mayors Alliance, municipalities can turn that readiness into real change and avoid being stuck in Brussels paperwork, by accessing the resources they need to deliver for their citizens,” said Andi Dobrushi, Director of OSF–WB.

Mirza Kusljagic, President of the Managing Board of the Reset Foundation, said: “The energy transition is not just about kilowatt hours or technology. It is about courage, compassion and connection. Real power lies in lifting others, especially our neighbors. This vision is fully aligned with the European Green Deal and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, and it is a generational opportunity.”

Forum builds on Sunny Schools legacy
The Green Mayors Forum is the first regional gathering of its kind, designed to give municipalities a stronger voice in shaping the green transition. Agenda highlights included roundtables on applying EU climate directives locally, greening cities to revitalize communities and scaling solar schools into citizen-driven energy commons. A youth workshop and design challenge showcased student proposals for renewable energy solutions.

The Forum builds on the legacy of the Sunny Schools Initiative (2021–2024), which equipped 87 schools in 36 municipalities with rooftop solar capacity of 1,770 kWp. The program engaged 46,000 students and 3,600 teachers, generating nearly 2 million kWh of clean electricity annually, cutting 946 tons of CO₂ emissions and saving around €200,000 per year.

Organizers said Sunny Schools demonstrated that schools and public buildings can serve as visible entry points for community-led energy models, strengthening both trust and governance. In 2025, the initiative expands to 12 new municipalities, reaching a total of 48 municipalities, or 10% of all in the Western Balkans.

Learn more about our work on just green transition.