Regardless of the specific causes of climate change, society is forced to limit negative anthropogenic impacts as soon as possible, while adjusting to the new circumstances.84 For this, in addition to general legal acts,85 numerous strategic documents have been adopted. They identify measures that would reduce vulnerability to climate change, both globally and in regional and national contexts.
Since 1988, the International Panel on Climate Change86 has been publish-ing regular reports that examine the situation in this area, and determine actions and measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.87 Furthermore, the United Nations (hereinafter: UN) adopted the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) in 2000,88 and the Adaptation Policy Frameworks for Climate Change89 in 2004, within the framework of the United Nations Develop-ment Programme. The great importance of the fight against climate change at global level was stressed by the United Nations Conference held in Montreal in 2005.90 Then in 2007 they adopted the Action Plan of the Framework Conven-tion on Climate Change (aka. the Bali AcConven-tion Plan), which introduced the concept of national action to mitigate climate change in global negotiations (Nationally appropriate mitigation actions – NAMAs).
As early as in 1994, there was the first global conference on topics like the reduction of natural disasters, held in the Japanese city of Yokohama, where the guidelines for natural disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation were adopted with the Action Plan (Yokohama Strategy).91 The decision of the UN General
81 Dušan Nikolić, Klimatske promene i građansko pravo – Elementi za strategiju prilagođavanja, Zbornik radova Pravnog fakulteta u Novom Sadu, no. 4/2013.p. 65.
82 Ibid.
83 Ibid.
84 Dušan Nikolić, op. cit. p. 66.
85 Among them the most important one is the The United Nations framework Convention on Climate Change from 1992.
86 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
87 The consolidated report for 2014 is available on the website: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
<http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/SYR_AR5_FINAL_full_wcover.pdf>.
88 United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
89 Adaptation Policy Frameworks for Climate Change: Developing Strategies, Policies and Measures.
90 Montreal UN Climate Change Conference.
91 Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World: guidelines for natural disaster prevention, prepared-ness and mitigation.
Assembly convened a second conference with a similar theme after nine years, where the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters was adopted.92 The main objective of this document was to reduce the risk of natural disasters at international, regional and national levels. The objectives for the next ten-year period were set: improv-ing early warnimprov-ing systems, usimprov-ing knowledge, innovation and education in order to build a “culture” of security and resilience at all levels, reduction of risk factors, as well as increased disaster preparedness. All this would enable better responses to climate-related disasters.
With the aim of achieving more effective results in the future, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-203093 was adopted, in which the following targets were listed: significant reduction in deaths from natural disasters and the vulnerability of people, reduction of direct economic losses from damage incurred as a result of natural disasters, reducing damage to criti-cal infrastructure, increasing the number of countries with developed national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction, promotion of cooperation in this field, as well as increasing the availability of information and early warning systems.94 The priorities for action at global level, according to Sendai Frame-work for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 are, above all, a better understanding of the risks and better ways to control them. This should be achieved through various practices and operational policies that involve institutional coopera-tion, strengthening competence and coordination across all relevant sectors.
In addition, the need for greater investment in the field of risk management is emphasised, strengthening resilience and preparedness for effective response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction in accordance with the philosophy of
“build back better”.95
In 2007 the European Commission adopted the so-called Green Paper entitled Adapting to climate change in Europe – options for EU Action.96 Then, in 2009, they adopted the White Paper – Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for Action.97 Important documents of the European Union in this area are the European Climate Adaptation Platform98 from 2012, which served as the basis for the adoption of the European Union Adaptation Strategy99 from 2013.
92 The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters (HFA).
93 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
94 See more about this: Bogoljub Milosavljević, Međunarodna saradnja u oblasti smanjenja rizika od katastrofa, Pravni zapisi no. 1/2015., p. 52-84.
95 Bogoljub Milosavljević, Međunarodna saradnja u oblasti smanjenja rizika od katastrofa. p. 69-70.
96 Green Paper – Adapting to climate change in Europe – options for EU Action.
97 White Paper – Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for Action.
98 European Climate Adaptation Platform.
99 European Union Adaptation Strategy.
According to the later Europe 2020 Strategy,100 there are three clear goals of the EU defined in terms of climate change, including the priority of reduc-ing emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels.
Otherwise, projections relating to the reduction by the year 2050 have been established at the level of 80-95%, with the ultimate goal of holding any increase in average temperature below 2%. “Another objective of the EU relates to getting renewable energy to contribute 20% of electricity consumption, and the third represents the improvement of energy efficiency by reducing primary energy consumption by 20% (below projected levels).”101
In addition to international and regional planning documents, many states have created national adaptation strategies. These enable the implementation of public policies related to climate change in order to mitigate their consequences.
The adaptive capacity of Serbia is still assessed as very modest. Certainly, the process of approaching EU membership is important to encourage adapta-tion to climate change.102 With state aid and foreign donations the work of the Republic Hydrometeorological Institute of Serbia was improved. Today it has a European reputation. In addition to providing regular weather forecasts, it gives hydrological forecasts, issues a danger index for forest fires, a UV index forecast, announcements on extremely hot or cold weatherfronts and the like.103
In November 2014, the National Council on Climate Change was established with the task of monitoring the development and implementation of national policies in this area, sectoral policies and other planning documents.104 Yet in Serbia we are still waiting for a single strategic document on adaptation, although its development was already planned in the National Sustainable Devel-opment Strategy in 2008.105
In a recently published report of the European Commission on the Enlarge-ment for the year 2016 for Serbia, Serbia has received particular praise for progress in the harmonisation of policies and legislation with the EU acquis with regard to waste management, nature protection and climate change. It was emphasised in this document that there was improvement in strategic planning, and the establishment of the Green Fund was praised, the two key recommen-dations in 2015. In particular, when it comes to climate change, it is expected Serbia in the future will ratify the Paris Agreement106 and start its
implementa-100 Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
101 Dragoljub Todić, Propisi Evropske unije u oblasti klimatskih promena i neka otvorena pitanja, in: Klimatske promene – Pravni i ekonomski izazovi, (ed. Stevan Lilić), Pravni fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu, 2011. p.
88.
102 Goran Sekulić, et. al., Procena ranjivosti na klimatske promene – Srbija, WWF (Svetski fond za prirodu), Centar za unapređenje životne sredine, Beograd, 2012., p. 23.
103 Goran Sekulić, et. al., op. cit., p. 24.
104 Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection: <http://www.eko.minpolj.gov.rs/
osnovan-nacionalni-savet-za-klimatske-promene/>, visited on 02.09.2016.
105 National Sustainable Development Strategy (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia no. 57/2008.).
106 Paris Agreement.
tion. This includes the development of a comprehensive strategy for adapting to climate change. It will be compatible with the EU Climate and Energy Framework 2030107 and well integrated into all relevant sectors.108
3 The impact of climate conditions and immovable cultural