Five years ago, we started our journey towards climate neutrality. A milestone has now been reached along the way – in a country that was not previously known for this type of activity.
In 2018, ProCredit set itself the goal of becoming climate neutral for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. In July 2023, we opened ProEnergy, our own 3 MW photovoltaic power plant in Lipjan near Pristina in Kosovo – bringing us a huge step closer to this goal. And that’s not all: With this initiative, we also want to help change the energy landscape in Kosovo, build local expertise and stimulate further private investment. This makes ProCredit a facilitator for the green transformation.
The photovoltaic park was initiated and implemented jointly by ProCredit Bank Kosovo, which also provided the financing, and ProCredit Holding. The project, which cost around EUR 2.5 million, was carried out by the Kosovan companies Jaha Solar and Electra. It has been online since July and is Gold Standard-certified. The plant is expected to generate 3.7 GWh per year and thus avoid around 4 kt of carbon dioxide per year.
How it all began
The group-wide journey to climate neutrality began with the establishment of a certified internal environmental management system. The group’s own emissions were to be recorded and subsequently reduced from 10 kTCO2 equivalent in 2018 to 4 kTCO2 in 2023 (in absolute figures). Of these emissions, 10% fall under Scope 1 and 90% under Scope 2. Reducing Scope 2 emissions was naturally more difficult – these emissions are related to our energy consumption and we are therefore dependent on our suppliers for electricity and heat.
And has our journey been a success?
Yes! This goal was achieved by installing solar panels on the roofs of ProCredit buildings and negotiating with electricity suppliers to obtain certificates of origin for renewable energy. Nevertheless, the majority of energy in South Eastern and Eastern Europe comes from fossil fuels, and the availability of renewable energies is known to be very limited. In the case of Kosovo, the proportion is as high as 85%. In view of the limited possibilities on site, it was therefore decided to voluntarily offset the remaining emissions with certificates. However, as we weren’t really happy with this solution (and also like to take things into our own hands), we made a momentous decision: we would build our own PV power plant in the country where to date green energy has been the most difficult to mobilise. The result: ProEnergy!
