Last updated: May 2025
For a Forest in Your Neighborhood" is an afforestation campaign by the DDOR insurance group, launched in 2022 as part of their Environment, Society, and Governance (ESG) commitments (Ref. 1). Site selection was based on online votings, with thousands of votes being casted from 188 towns across Serbia (Ref. 2). In the end, the fifteen most popular cities were selected for project implementation. As a result, hundreds of trees were planted, including 25 trees along the promenade of Belgrade’s Ušće Park in 2023 (Ref. 3). Ultimately, the initiative aims to create and enhance urban green spaces, to improve air quality and living conditions in Serbian cities (Ref. 5). The success of the campaign encouraged DDOR to extend the campaign in 2024, financed through their eco-insurance schemes (Ref. 4)
Planted Trees along the Usce Promenade
https://www.ddor.rs/en/ddors-campaign-for-a-forest-in-your-area-continues-with-tree-planting-in-belgrades-usce/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Air pollution
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities
Project objectives
Goal 1) Plant 25 new trees in Serbia in 2023 to enhance urban afforestation for the benefit of public health, especially air pollution (Ref. 1,3)
Goal 2) Allocate funds from each contracted eco-policy insurance towards the project of 100 dinars. (Ref. 4)
Goal 3) Act on Corporate Social Resposibility strategy by implementing the programme. (Ref. 1,2)
Goal 4) Start a new project cycle in 2024 to demonstarte long-term commitment in the cause. (Ref. 4)
Goal 5) Conduct public votings to determine the project cities and enhance inclusiveness (Ref. 2,4)
Implementation activities
- Announcement of the activity at the DDOR Eco Belgrade Car Show in 2022 (Ref. 1)
- Create eco-policy insurances which help fund the project (Ref. 1,4)
- Conduct public votings, based on which the project cities are selected (Ref.1,2)
- Plant trees in each project city, in Belgrade 25 stands, in attendance of political and company representatives. (Ref. 1,2)
- Communicate the project through the company website and other media outlets for public engagement in future cycles (Ref. 1,2,4)
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Financial institution
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The company "DDOR osiguranje" (insurance company) is successfully implementing the campaign “For a forest in your neighbourhood”, which envisages the planting of hundreds of trees in towns throughout the country" (Ref. 2)
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the City of Belgrade for its support and contribution to our joint efforts to make cities greener and healthier" (Ref. 1)
"on the basis of several thousand votes received from more than 188 towns in Serbia" (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Type of enablers
Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Insurance firms
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Other
Socio-cultural impacts
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Rosic, J. (2023). DDOR’s campaign “For a forest in your area” continues with tree planting in Belgrade. DDOR Osiguranje, Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Rosic, J. (2022). DDOR osiguranje campaign “For a forest in your neighborhood” begins with tree planting in Novi Sad. DDOR Osiguranje, Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Rosic, J. (2023). DDOR Osiguranje continues its campaign “For a forest in your area” with the planting of trees in Novi Pazar. DDOR Osiguranje, Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Rosic, J. (2024). Make your city greener. DOOR Osiguranje, Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Republika (2023). Sadnjom stabala na beogradskom Ušću, DDOR osiguranje nastavilo akciju "Za šumu u tvom kraju" . Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link];
Planting action with Chairman of the Executive Board of DDOR Osiguranje, Francesco Masci and Olympian Zorana Arunović
https://www.ddor.rs/en/ddors-campaign-for-a-forest-in-your-area-continues-with-tree-planting-in-belgrades-usce/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.