Prishtina, 10.12.2024 – The Minister of Economy (ME), Artane Rizvanolli, participated in the roundtable where the World Bank’s Climate and Development Report for Kosovo (CCDR) was presented. At the roundtable, the Minister stated that our country stands at the crossroads of environmental, energy, and economic challenges, while adding that the climate crisis, the European energy crisis, and political tensions have revealed vulnerabilities in our energy sector.

In addition to Minister Rizvanolli, the roundtable was also attended by the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu, as well as Massimiliano Paolucci, the World Bank Country Manager for Kosovo and North Macedonia.

The Minister noted that some of the achievements highlighted in the report include commitments to investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the development of battery energy storage systems.

“These projects are being implemented according to the highest international standards and in line with best transparency practices. The path toward the energy transformation we have embarked upon is not merely a vision, but a daily endeavor for a greener and stronger Kosovo,” she stated.

Furthermore, the report presented by the World Bank offers positive assessments of Kosovo in terms of climate change. It is emphasized that Kosovo has adopted national voluntary commitments of equal measure even though it is not a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

There was also positive recognition of the adoption of the Law on Climate Change, which establishes the legal basis for institutional planning and organization in mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as foresees the drafting of a long-term decarbonization strategy with a 30-year timeframe.

According to the report, the Energy Strategy 2022–2031 aims to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy sources, and the Draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) of July 2023 sets climate change mitigation targets that align with the Energy Community’s Clean Energy Package.

The World Bank’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Kosovo for 2024 was published in October and was presented yesterday.