Source: European Investment Bank
Learnica is part of LTH Castings Group, a Slovenian company that is one of the leading European suppliers to the automotive industry, with clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Bosch, BMW and Continental. Learnica and other companies in the Western Balkans are preparing for new EU fees on carbon emissions, known as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which will start in 2026.
The mechanism is a new tool that puts a carbon price on goods imported into the European Union. The EU goal is to be be carbon neutral by 2050. North Macedonia is not part of the European Union, but its products are used in EU goods and will count toward this new carbon fee. EU firms must track and report emissions that are created by their products inside and outside the European Union. As of January 2026, EU manufacturers will need to purchase certificates to cover these emissions.
“Achieving carbon neutrality is one of our core strategic goals,” Jovčevska says. “We have embedded this objective into every investment and improvement made in our production processes over the past ten years.”
Learnica is located in Ohrid, a city known for its rich cultural heritage. The town sits on the edge of Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s deepest and oldest lakes, which is home to a unique aquatic ecosystem that includes many species highly sensitive to pollution and climate change.
“We wanted to reduce the negative impact that an industry such as ours can have on the environment, especially given the importance of Ohrid to Macedonians,” Jovčeska says.
To limit its environmental impact, Learnica uses “green” aluminium made from recycled materials, which takes 95% less energy to produce than aluminium made from primary raw materials. The company has also introduced several other green initiatives, such as producing heat from melting furnaces, installing solar panels to generate electricity, and developing a water-cooling system that purifies and recycles water used in the manufacturing process.