Briefing

Albania country profile - SDGs and the environment

Briefing Published 02 Dec 2020 Last modified 02 Dec 2020

2 min read

Photo: © Photo by Antoine Petitteville on Unsplash

Accession to the EU is Albania’s overarching priority and its most important strategic ambition. By building on the European integration process as the driving political and development goal, the Republic of Albania has moved towards achieving the SDGs (Republic of Albania, 2018).

To support SDG action, Albania has prepared an SDG baseline report to explore the specific components of the National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI) pillars. Albania’s baseline report underscores that the national strategic policy framework is most harmonised with the SDG targets in SDG 3 (good health and well-being); SDG 7 (affordable and Clean Energy); SDG 8 (good jobs and economic growth); and SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), while the least harmonisation is with SDG 14 (life below water) (Ciko, 2018).

Albania’s actions towards SDGs with an environmental dimension focus primarily on SDGs 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14 and 15.

Published in 2018, Albania`s VNR identifies six key priority areas, including energy (SDG 7), water (SDGs 6, 14) and integrated land management (SDGs 11, 15) (Republic of Albania, 2018).

The NSDI 2015-2020 draws up a plan for the 2030 Agenda by connecting the SDGs with its key components. Although the Albanian sustainable development agenda includes a variety of different domains, the main achievements are expected to be reforms in four main areas, including environmental protection, and competitive economy (Republic of Albania, 2016).

Albania submitted a VNR to the UN in 2018.

The Albanian parliament formed an Interministerial Committee on the SDGs, chaired by the deputy prime minister. This Committee is responsible for ensuring dialogue between the government and stakeholders, as well as integration of the SDGs in Albania’s strategic framework (Marika, 2016). The Official Statistical Programme for 2017-2021 was approved by the parliament in February 2017 and includes a set of national SDG indicators (EUROSTAT, 2017).

Sources

Ciko, I., 2018, Albania, Report on the Harmonization of Sustainable Development Goals with existing Sectoral Policies, Republic of Albania, (https://www.un.org.al/sites/default/files/Albania%20Report%20on%20the%20Harmonization.pdf) accessed 29 November 2019.

Eurostat, 2017, Recent developments in NSIs and in international cooperation (roundtable contributions), Eurostat, Luxembourg (https://circabc.europa.eu/.../MGSC%202017/MGSC-2017-17%20Roundtable.doc) accessed 8 September 2017.

Marika, K., 2016, Albania in its way to EU accession and SDGs, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva, Switzerland (https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/epr/meetings/28thMeeting/Presentation_-_SDG-Klodiana_Marika.pdf) accessed 20 November 2017.

Republic of Albania, 2016, Strategjia Kombȅtare Pȅr Zhvillim dhe Integrim, Republic of Albania (http://www.mod.gov.al/images/PDF/strategji2016/SKZHI_FINAL_QBZ.pdf) accessed 20 February 2017.

Republic of Albania, 2018, Albania: Voluntary National Review of SDGs, Republic of Albania (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/20257ALBANIA_VNR_2018_FINAL2.pdf) accessed 29 November 2019.

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The country assessments are the sole responsibility of the EEA member and cooperating countries supported by the EEA through guidance, translation and editing.