Albanian SEENET member IEP plans to hold two online seminars, first one with environmental activists and other interested parties, and the second one including SEENET network to start the conversation on a Green Deal for the country and the region and at the same time initiate an online campaign to inform the general public.
Albania is one of the most affected countries in Europe by climate change, due to the severity of impacts, and low human and infrastructural capacities to adapt to these impacts. Climate change is and will further negatively affect the economic development of the country, as it relies on hydropower for electricity generation. Climate change and environmental degradation are (and have been) of low priority for the Albanian Government, and unfortunately the same can be said also about the public and citizens of Albania, with the exception of some parts of civil society and youth.
Albanian youth is still not aware of climate crisis impacts in Albania, and the first roundtables/seminars that IEP held showed that the majority of them are eager to react against climate crisis, but they are not aware of climate crisis actual and future impacts, and that there is a lot of misinformation being propagandized to the public. In the Albanian media, public discourse and in the educational system there is little understanding of the unfolding climate crisis, with grave ignorance about the issue among common Albanians and also among policy and decision-makers. Even among the donor community, climate has not been a favorite topic, rejecting applications for awareness raising on climate change. There could be no public support for climate measures in Albania if the general public is so badly informed on the topic. In general, there is a need for critical mass to push the decision-makers to act against climate crisis.
There is a great need to work in environmental area and IEP has so far built a skeleton of the Albanian Green Deal, as first presentation and feedback was done on the 11.01.2020 in a seminar on Albanian Green Deal and climate emergency in Tirana, Albania.
In order to continue to build and raise awareness IEP plans to hold two online seminars from May to September 2020 and to initiate an online campaign. The realization of their action will be supported by SEENET with its third subgrant in 2020.
First online seminar is planned to be focused on environmental activists and other interested persons which will be invited through an open invitation and more focused on Albanian public. The second webinar would be a SEENET webinar on Green New Deal in the region to share experience and advices, as well as to increase and strengthen regional cooperation.
The other part of the activities will be an online campaign with articles on climate crisis, 2 short videos, and infographics which will inform the general public on the climate crisis impacts, mitigation and adaptation, what each one of us can do to mitigate the crisis, and stir the discussion on a green recovery after the pandemic and use this situation to change our ways of life.
Albanian youth has already asked for more information and the spreading of the awareness raising beyond Tirana, to other parts of Albania. Now is the right time to make youth aware of the climate crisis, and through that, make them a critical mass that can push for green policies to be in place, but also to form a nucleus for a greener future.