Decision No. 466 approving the National Strategy on Climate Change and Action Plans.

The National Strategy on Climate Change is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach and has two annexes: the National Action Plan on Mitigation (NAPM) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). This Strategy focuses on three main components of climate change in Albania: mitigation measures, adaptation measures, and sustainable development. The purpose of this Strategy is to ensure the development towards a low-carbon economy, in order to achieve global mitigation objectives and to strengthen adaptation for the benefit of present and future generations.
Even though Albania is a non-Annex I country of the UNFCCC, and thus has no obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Albania has taken great steps in the context of the UNFCCC: such as, the development of national-level capacities for annual GHG monitoring and reporting, and the formulation and implementation of policies for GHG reduction and climate change adaptation. This Strategy lays down 6 prioritized actions: (I) sustainable economic growth in accordance with the reduction of GHG emissions goals, and the transition to a low carbon economy, (II) strengthened monitoring, reporting and verification system for annual GHG inventory, in accordance with EU and UNFCCC reporting requirements, (III) capacity building of relevant institutions and strengthened inter-institutional cooperation for addressing climate change issues, (IV) integration of climate change into sectoral strategic planning, (V) strengthened capacity and awareness-raising on climate change issues, and (VI) alignment with the EU legal framework for climate change in all sectors.
Data collection and monitoring, reporting and verification system will be strengthened for the annual GHG inventory, in accordance with the EU and UNFCCC reporting requirements, with a special emphasis on the agriculture, energy, transport, land, and forestry sectors. The efforts will be maximized to meet the reduction of CO2 emissions target of Albania's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution until 2030; such as: review of the INDC objectives until 2020 for the inclusion of gases other than CO2, and integration of adaptation objectives and mitigation measures into physical planning, water and land management that include agriculture, forestry, water, and nature conservation. The capacities of relevant institutions and inter-institutional cooperation will be strengthened for dealing with climate change mitigation, especially in the fields of energy efficiency, air quality, sustainable and multifunctional management of forests and pastures, and sustainable and resilient agriculture. The integration between all policies which are directly or indirectly related to energy will be strengthened, mainly regarding fossil fuels in the energy and transport sectors, energy production in the energy sector, and the biomass in the agriculture sector. Public awareness will be raised on the negative impacts of climate change, and they will be promoted to support emissions reduction actions. Research, technological developments and innovation in the agriculture and forestry sectors will be carried out by educational and scientific institutions. Energy efficiency will be promoted in all economic sectors by encouraging the reduction in energy consumption and the use and diversification of renewable energy resources. Bioenergy will be promoted through the development of biomass technologies and waste to energy initiatives. Sustainable food production with low emissions will be promoted by developing a competitive and innovative agri-food sector, encouraging the introduction of environmentally friendly agricultural production methods, and improving water management in agriculture to protect soil and increase crop productivity. Moreover, investments will be attracted to the infrastructure related to the processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products, in order to allow the introduction of EU criteria for regulating markets, health and hygiene standards, environmental protection and mitigating the effects of climate change. The carbon content of agricultural soils will be controlled and increased by reducing land degradation, rehabilitating degraded lands, and preventing erosion in arable land and pastures, and replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers. The carbon storage potential in terrestrial ecosystems will be increased to conserve biodiversity and increase the conservation status of threatened species and habitats. Forest conservation and management will be strengthened through afforestation, extension of forest area, protection of forest resources, and prevention of erosion and forest fires. Climate change considerations will be integrated into all water-related plans and projects. Flood risk management will be improved, especially focusing on non-structural measures, such as early warning systems, preparedness and spatial planning.