We are delighted to announce that Željka Leljak Gracin has joined Biom’s flock as our new Executive Director. A lawyer by training, Željka brings many years of experience in environmental law, providing legal support to citizens and NGOs, monitoring developments in environmental legislation, and organising seminars and workshops on various aspects of environmental protection.
To mark her arrival, we asked Željka a few questions about her work, motivations and plans for the future.
Looking back at your career so far, which achievements are you most proud of?
Željka: What I’m probably most proud of is that I stayed committed to the field that first brought me into civil society – environmental law. When I started thinking about leaving Zelena akcija after 20 years, it was very important for me not to leave the sector altogether. I’ve invested a lot of effort – and a lot of love – into environmental law and advocacy for stronger environmental and nature protection policies, as well as for civil society itself. Moving to a different sector would have felt as if all that work had been in vain.
By joining another environmental organisation, I feel I can still contribute a lot – perhaps from a slightly different role. At the same time, I’m glad that I’ll continue collaborating with Zelena akcija through the Green Forum network, which is also very important to me.
Staying in this sector for so long is an achievement in itself. Over the past two decades I’ve faced many difficult situations – and sometimes difficult people. It’s not always easy to stay calm and motivated. There are many struggles and relatively few victories. Expectations are high, and NGOs are often criticised when things don’t happen quickly enough. At the same time, public and institutional support for civil society organisations is often limited, which can feel like a vicious circle.
Despite these challenges, I believe we must remain courageous. At the end of the day, knowing that you tried to make something better for the future is already a meaningful reward. Not everyone can go to sleep with that kind of clear conscience 🙂
During my time at Zelena akcija, I’m also proud of several important campaigns and achievements: the long-term fight against the Kosinj hydropower project, the abolition of the controversial Law on Golf Courses, the adoption of the Light Pollution Act, and the campaign that stopped the construction of a golf resort on Srđ above Dubrovnik. Raising awareness about environmental activism and dealing with SLAPP lawsuits – which I personally experienced – were also significant parts of my work.
Another area I’m proud of is building constructive relationships with institutions such as the Ombudswoman, the Information Commissioner, and the Parliamentary Committee for Environmental and Nature Protection. Strengthening these relationships is important because there are relatively few institutions that truly understand and support the work of environmental organisations.
Dialogue with institutions such as the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition and the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund is also crucial. This is something I worked on within Zelena akcija and intend to continue, especially through our joint work within the Green Forum network.
What does taking on the leadership of Biom mean to you personally?
Željka: Joining Biom makes me genuinely happy, but it also represents a major professional challenge after spending 20 years at Zelena akcija. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but in many ways it felt like a natural step (pun intended!).
I’ve followed Biom’s work since its very beginnings and have always admired how the organisation has grown and established itself within the civil society sector. I’m excited to be part of its further development.
I hope we will work well together as a team, and that I’ll be able to lead Biom just as successfully as Ivana Selanec did – which is certainly a high standard to live up to. I have great trust in my new colleagues, and I believe that together we will continue to strengthen the organisation.
Public participation in environmental decision-making has always been a topic particularly close to my heart, so participatory leadership is very important to me in this role as well. I believe this approach is essential in civil society organisations if we want to remain a strong and cohesive team and successfully achieve our goals.
What are you most looking forward to in the coming months?
Željka: First and foremost, I’m looking forward to working with my new colleagues. I already knew many of them, but now that I’m part of the team I’m getting to know the projects, topics and challenges much more closely.
In my opinion, the success and visibility of any organisation depends above all on its people. That’s why it’s important that we function as a connected team that shares the same values and a common vision for the future.
I’m also looking forward to continuing and strengthening cooperation with other organisations and institutions, developing new projects, and advocating for better environmental policies. Organisations like Biom play an important role in these processes, especially in the complex and challenging times we are living in.
And on a more personal note – I’m also excited to learn more about birds, since my knowledge in that area is still fairly modest.
Do you have a favourite bird?
Željka: It’s difficult to choose just one favourite bird, but if I had to, I’d say the sparrow. I admire how resourceful it is and how well it manages to survive in difficult conditions. It’s brave and persistent – qualities that people sometimes seem to lack.
I’m also very fond of woodpeckers, blackbirds, herons and rooks – species I probably wouldn’t know much about without Biom.
What is the most important goal you would like to achieve at Biom?
Željka: One of my key priorities is ensuring that the Nature Restoration Law becomes a real opportunity for meaningful change, rather than remaining just a list of good intentions on paper. Since I followed the process of adopting this regulation at the EU level – including the attempts to block it – I believe Biom can and should play an important role in ensuring its high-quality implementation.
This year Croatia is also adopting a new Environmental Protection Act. I hope Biom, together with members of the Green Forum, will actively contribute both to the public consultation process and to ensuring that the final law provides strong and clear protection for the environment.
Another important milestone this year is Biom’s 20th anniversary, which I’m very much looking forward to celebrating. It’s a great opportunity to remind the public of everything the organisation has achieved over the past two decades.
Environmental NGOs often spend so much time responding to urgent problems and preventing harmful decisions that there’s little space left to highlight the positive changes they help create. Anniversaries like this give us a chance to share those stories.
Biom will also be developing a new three-year strategy, and I see this as a valuable opportunity for the team to reflect together on our priorities, opportunities and the challenges ahead.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for biodiversity in Croatia today?
Željka: One of the biggest challenges is the growing pressure from investment projects of questionable quality, which can sometimes cause significant harm both to nature and to people.
What worries me is that even projects we environmental organisations have long advocated for – such as renewable energy developments – can become controversial when profit is prioritised over the public interest.
Environmental NGOs are often portrayed as being against everything, but that’s simply not true. What we want are well-designed projects and responsible investments that respect procedures and the public interest, and minimise impacts on nature and the environment.
I often remember something a biologist once told me: nature will recover no matter what we do to it. The real question is whether we, as a species, will still be able to live in that restored nature.
Although awareness of climate change has grown because we are already experiencing its consequences, I’m not sure that decision-makers are truly ready for the scale of policy change that is needed. We cannot keep asking citizens to change their behaviour while those in power continue making decisions that may cause irreversible damage to nature and human health.
We are very happy to welcome Željka to the Biom team and look forward to introducing her to many of you at our upcoming events. Welcome to the flock, Željka!
