Annual Report 2022
05 Feb, 2024
In 2022, Albania continued to grapple with a range of pressing climate challenges. One significant issue was the ongoing unabated increase in temperatures, with many regions experiencing extreme heat, wildfires, and droughts. These extreme weather events were exacerbated by climate change, putting additional strain on ecosystems, agriculture, and water resources. Additionally, rising sea levels continued to threaten coastal communities, causing increased flooding and erosion in vulnerable areas along the western and north-western plains.
Another notable challenge in 2022 was the slow progress in international efforts to combat climate change. Despite the Paris Agreement and various climate commitments, many major polluters struggled to meet their emission reduction targets. This lack of global cooperation and commitment continues to frustrate and hinder local commitments, which further jeopardizes efforts to maintain warming below the threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Furthermore, the year witnessed debates over climate adaptation strategies in Albania, highlighting the need for investments in resilience and adaptation measures to protect communities from the inevitable impacts of a changing climate and related disasters. REC Albania became a part to all the aforementioned processes, contributing, among others, to:
- Supporting 12 women-led (and founded) green enterprises with extremely low-to zero carbon footprint that make use of local supplier chains and organic ingredients in their production processes. These entrepreneurs received financial, technological-logistical, technical, as well as visibility support to upscale their local and national market outreach, boost employment capacities, as well as promote sustainable business models for other women-led businesses and start-ups.
- Reviewing the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (NSDRR) 2023-2030 and successfully recommending changes for mainstreaming gender and vulnerability into the NSDRR 2020-2030 fabric, so that it is compliant with Albania’s National Strategy for Gender Equality 2021-2030, as well as international standards stipulated by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) pertaining to social vulnerability mainstreaming.
- Implementing more than three dozen activities under various project frameworks with local- and national-level CSOs, journalists, academicians and researchers, school teachers, vulnerable women and girls, people with disabilities, as well as youth and pupils at the local level in several communities facing a wide array of challenges (damages from the Great Albanian Earthquake of 2019, droughts, floods, wildfires, waste management issues, environmental crime and misdemeanours, pollution, etc.), including Durrës, Kamëz, Lezhë, Krujë, Vorë, Shkodër, Pogradec, Tepelenë, Vlorë, Kukës, etc.
- Heading the Technical Secretariat of the Advisory Group against Environmental Crime (AGEC), in the context of the project “Empower Environmental Governance in Albania” (EEGSA), supported and funded by OSCE’s Presence in Albania. REC Albania has contributed to numerous reports of environmental misdemeanours and crimes committed in Albania, as well as organizing field trips with AGEC members and other national and local level stakeholders throughout the country.
- Hosting the Climate Local Leaders Conference in Albania (which brought local struggles to the spotlight for the very first time), with representation from International and European Climate Reality Project executives.
- Contributing to the certification of more than 150 teachers and trainers of primary and secondary education institutions throughout the country in the field of education for sustainable development, who replicated activities with more than 400 pupils in schools throughout the country.