EIB advises Zagreb utility on green operational overhaul

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is teaming up with Zagreb’s main utility, Zagrebački holding, to revamp municipal operations and help Croatia’s capital push toward climate neutrality by 2030. Under a new advisory deal, the EIB will guide efforts to consolidate scattered facilities, streamline logistics, and upgrade equipment, vehicles, and land use across the company’s subsidiaries that handle water, energy, building maintenance, and parks.

The plan calls for reorganizing small operational sites into a more efficient network, designing a central hub, and exploring financing for a modern, energy‑saving headquarters. Shorter routes, smarter fleet management, and efficient buildings should cut fuel use and emissions while rolling out low‑emission and electric vehicles. EIB Vice‑President Ioannis Tsakiris said a well‑run, green infrastructure directly improves daily life for citizens by lowering costs, emissions, and service disruptions.

Zagreb Holding’s president, Ivan Novaković, noted that since taking over, they’ve prioritized efficiency, and this network of sustainable service bases will reduce strain on public transport, shrink the environmental footprint, and make resources go further. The nearly 800,000 residents of Zagreb, part of the EU’s Climate Neutral and Smart Cities program, stand to gain cleaner air and better services from these changes.

This advisory work builds on EIB loans like the €395 million for sustainable urban projects, plus support for renewables, public transport, housing, schools, and digital services. It also ties into EU technical aid through the European Local Energy Assistance program, laying groundwork for long‑term investments that match Zagreb’s green goals and deliver real benefits for the city.