1. Sub-Regional Conference on
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY IN SEE
9 – 10 December 2013
Zagreb, Croatia
Elvita Spahiu (Kabashi)
Programme Officer for Environment
UNDP Albania

2. Albania context
 Albania is totally dependent on hydro resources and regional imports;
 In 2001-2010, Albania’s electricity demand grew at about 2% per year;
and in 2011-2012, demand growth increased to about 4% annually;
 2 extreme exp: In 2007, a severe drought cut domestic production from an
average level of 4,200 GWh per annum to 2,900 GWh. In 2010 in an
extraordinary wet year, domestic hydro production increased to 7,700
GWh, resulting in exports in that year;
 Due to low price and non-payment, almost 50 % of the electricity is
consumed by households including for heating and cooling;
 Transport sector represented 44% of the total energy consumption in
2008 and is still rapidly increasing due to growing car ownership and
construction of new road infrastructure.

3. General situation of Albania in relation to
climate change policy
 Albania is a Non-Annex I party to the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change thus no legally binding objectives in terms of GHG
emissions reduction;
 Albania is in the process of accession to the EU, where it is expected to
transpose and implement the EU legislation, including targets in relation to
climate change mitigation at the time of membership;
 Total GHG emissions of Albania were 7.834 kt of CO2 equivalent in 1990,
7.620 kt in 2000 and were projected to be around 18.000 kt in 2012;
 Emissions of Albania are 5,6 tons per capita vs EU 27 9,9 t/capita) and
emissions per unit of GDP are around 1,4 kg of CO2/USD vs EU 27 0,4 kt
CO2/Euro of GDP
 Projected climate changes in Albania include higher air temperature,
increased frequency of extreme weather events, and a 20 % decrease in
water runoff with a reduction of up to 60 % of power generation

4. National Appropriate Mitigation
Actions identified
1. Building code requiring energy efficiency in new buildings
2. National climate change strategy and capacity building for
monitoring, reporting and verification
3. Financing mechanism for the implementation of the Energy
Efficiency Action Plan
4. Securing sustainable management of forests and pastures,
including afforestation
5. Securing sustainable management of forests and pastures,
including afforestation

5. National Appropriate Mitigation
Actions identified con’t
6.
Efficient use of fuel wood and biomass;
7.
Capacity building for climate policy at municipal level
8.
Sustainable transport concept for Tirana and other cities
9.
Using non-hazardous was waste as fuel in cement industry
10. Renewable energy for heating and cooling of buildings (solar,
heat pumps)
11. Investment in micro hydro power plants

6. Renewables -Solar

7. Poverty and Environment Initiative
 Macro economic assessment comparing the long-term
cost implications/savings/opportunities of the energy
efficient and current energy inefficient housing
construction including:
 Estimation of basic energy needs of a household as well
as the elements of access and consumption of energy;
 Analysis of the technical problems and other policy
barriers of the existing energy building code;
 Policy recommendations for the design of the New
Energy Building Code.