The Government of Japan has partnered with UNDP In Albania to accelerate the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Action Plan towards achieving the overall enhanced target and climate-resilient development, in response to the climate emergency.

A new project “Market transformation for solar power Photovoltaic acceleration in Albania” funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with an amount of USD 859,000 USD and implemented by UNDP in Albania aims to assist the country to implement the new national target in response to Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The project aims to support the transition process towards diversification from hydropower and promote alternative sources of renewable energy by 2030, 42% of renewable energy (rather than large hydro) in gross final energy consumption”. 

The project will work to remove the market barriers and accelerate the development of solar PV (reaching an additional installed capacity of 1000 kW) by enabling the required policy framework, availability of financing mechanisms, ensuring the supply of reliable technology and services leveraging experience, and know-how from other countries with relevant advanced technologies such as Japanese ones.

Some of the project interventions include targeted support to the national policy, on solar panels, standards and codes, rules, and regulations on the deployment of solar PV systems on the power grid and the use of solar energy, including e-based permissions as per the Japanese model. The project also targets municipal buildings/national utilities and remote rural communities by installing pilot projects with high demonstration visibility and easily replicated. Installation of pilot PV systems will also contribute to skills development for local producers/assemblers of solar panels as well as for service providers to operate and maintain them.

The Japanese know-how will be utilized throughout the project implementation cycle to increase the technical, planning, operational and entrepreneurial skills for integrating solar PV into the power grid and for organizing PV cooperatives and setting up PV firms. 

On the other side, technical assistance will be given to the private sector on the benefits and economic feasibility of solar PV influencing a positive purchasing decision.

At COP26, UNDP launched the next phase of the Climate Promise - From Pledge to Impact - scaling up its support to turn NDC targets into concrete action in at least 100 countries. 

Albania submitted in October 2021 a more ambitious and robust enhanced NDC with an action plan to support interventions to achieve the 20.9% GHG reduction target by 2030 compared to the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario.