KOSOVO - STEPS AHEAD IN CLIMATE ACTION

November 16, 2022

 

Under UNDP’s global Climate Promise project, Kosovo is addressing the challenges of climate change, primarily through energy, adaptation, and resilience – as well as scaling up innovation to create opportunities for further investment in green transition. 

The first phase of the Climate Promise has supported Kosovo in raising its ambition with regards to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and building resilience to the impacts of climate change. 
 
“The time to act is now – we know how to make our planet sustainable. What we need is political will and financing to make it happen. Japan’s support to UNDP’s flagship climate initiative, the Climate Promise, is critical. It allows UNDP to continue supporting developing countries to undertake ambitious climate action.” Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support states in the foreword of the November’s Climate Promise Progress Report.

UNDP’s Climate Promise has been supporting Kosovo to grow and build resilience to climate change impacts, and this progress has been highlighted along with those of 23 other countries, under the UNDP’s Climate Promise initiative, supported by the Government of Japan.

•    As part of Climate Promise project, within less than a year, UNDP Kosovo supported the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (MESPI) in designing of the Energy Efficiency Policies and Measures, Circular Economy Roadmap, as well as developing thematic policy briefs in the climate sector. 

•    Moreover, during this period, UNDP Kosovo initiated partnerships with local CSOs, in developing environmental misconduct reporting tools and trainings, thus identifying environmental corruption in Kosovo, and other risk areas. And further promoting eco-tourism as a means for accelerating economic development. 

•    And lately, through BOOST x Kosovo, a business acceleration for start-ups, UNDP is supporting 50 women and men SMEs on green business practices, while providing mentorship, matchmaking with global companies, as well as grants for the best green solutions.

Meanwhile, as over 100 heads of state and government representatives have come together for the COP27 Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh this November, Enisa Serhati, UNDP Kosovo team leader for the Inclusive Growth and Climate Resilience is attending the COP 27, to join the global UNDP delegation to showcase UNDP’s joint efforts towards green transition and sustainability, through Climate Promise. UNDP’s Climate Promise is the largest global offer of support to developing countries on Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Within the global framework of the Climate Promise, financial support is being provided to target two key areas: reducing emissions through scaling up clean energy and establishing net-zero pathways and strengthening adaptation and resilience to climate impacts particularly in vulnerable and fragile settings.