Albania has violated one of the terms of the Paris Agreement by not sending its nationally determined contributions (NDC) to emissions to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Under the terms of the agreement, Albania was required to submit these contributions by July 30, but failed to do so.
Patricia Espinosa, the Executive Secretary of the UUNFCCC, said that this is far from satisfactory and that “NDCs embody national climate action plans that each country designs to address climate change.”
These reports are integral because, when combined, they create an accurate record of global climate change action. Each country is supposed to publish them every five years.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have all promised to increase their emission cuts in their respective countries.
In addition to Albania, only Serbia has failed to submit its report out of the Balkan region.
Espinosa said that the level of ambition shown by signatories needs to be enhanced.
“One of the key findings in the initial version of the synthesis report showed that collective efforts fall far short of what is required by science to limit a global temperature rise by the end of the century of 2C, let alone the desired objective of less than 1.5C. I truly hope that the revised estimate of collective efforts will reveal a more positive picture, “said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary,” she said.
She added that recent heatwaves, fires, droughts, and floods constitute a “dire warning that much more needs to be done and much more quickly.”
Espinosa called on Albania and other non-compliant countries to double their efforts and honor their commitment to the Paris Agreement, which is legally binding.
Meanwhile, Albania is experiencing an unusually hot summer, with wildfires devastating parts of the country’s south. One person has lost his life, and millions of euros of damage have been caused to property and farmland. Fires are currently threatening Llogora National Park.
