Njoftim për shtyp: Letër drejtuar KE për gazin natyror në Ballkanin Perëndimor

Fossil gas pipeline illustrating Press Release Activists call on EU to stop promoting fossil gas dependence in the Western Balkans

Njoftim për shtyp
5 Prill 2022

Aktivistë i bëjnë thirrje BE-së të ndalojë mbështetjen e varësisë të Ballkanit Perëndimor ndaj gazit natyror


36 organizata të shoqërisë civile kanë dërguar sot një (1) letër të përbashkët (kliko për të lexuar letrën) drejtuar Presidentes të Komisionit Europian, Ursula von der Leyen, duke i bërë thirrje BE-së për të ndaluar promovimin e përdorimit të gazit natyror në Ballkanin Perëndimor.

Në këtë moment, rajoni është shumë më pak i varur nga gazi krahasuar me BE-në, e cila po përpiqet të lirohet nga importi i gazit pas pushtimit Rus në Ukrainë. (2)
Serbia, disa vende në Maqedoninë e Veriut dhe Bosnja Herzegovina përdorin gazin Rus, kryesisht për ngrohje. Shqipëria, Kosova, dhe Mali i zi nuk kane rrjet shpërndarjeje për gazin.

Pavarësisht faktit që Ballkani Perëndimor është zotuar për të nxjerrë nga përdorimi karburantet fosile deri në 2050 (3), Komisioni Europian përgjatë viteve të fundit ka inkurajuar rritjen e konsumimit të gazit natyror në rajon, kryesisht përmes korridorit jugor nga Azerbajxhani (4), pavarësisht se projekti i gazit “Shah Deniz” është 20% në pronësi të Lukoil të Rusisë (5).

Letra drejtuar Komisionit Europian bën thirrje për shtimin e investimeve për energji të rinovueshme të cilat janë neglizhuar në rajon, ku në vend të kësaj është duke u promovuar përdorimi i gazit natyror.

Denis Žiško, organizata Qendra Aarhus nga Bosnje Herzegovina, shprehet, “Promovimi i rritjes së përdorimit të gazit natyror në Ballkanin Perëndimor në këtë faze të krizës globale klimatike është e papërgjegjshme dhe aspak e dëshirueshme. Varësia jonë e ulët ndaj gazit natyror është një plus, jo minus, ndërsa shkojmë drejt elektrifikimit të sistemit të ngrohjes dhe transportit. Infrastruktura e re e ndërtuar së fundmi do të përfundojë si aset i bllokuara ose si një bllokazhë-gazi natyror që do të pengojë zhvillimin e burime të rinovueshme në rajon”


Nevena Smilevska, organizata Eko-Svest nga Maqedonia e Veriut, shprehet, ‘’Pavarësisht se mund të jetë nga Rusia, Azerbajxhan, apo diku tjetër, rritja e varësisë nga importi (i gazit natyror) është gjeja e fundit që na nevojitet - një fakt i marrë nga rritja e cmimit të të gazit përgjatë këtij dimri nga pushtimi i Rusisë në Ukrainë. Sikurse BE gjithashtu kupton së sigurimi i energjisë nuk mund të mbështetet vetëm në importin e gazit natyror, po ashtu Komisioni Europian duhet të ndalojë sa më parë promovimin e gazit natyror në Ballkanin Perëndimor.”


Nataša Kovačević, CEE Bankwatch, shprehet se “Rishikimi i humbjeve gjatë shpërndarjes së energjisë elektrike, rritja e pompave me nxehtësi dhe cative me panele diellore, apo teknologji e re për ruajtjen e nxehtësisë dhe rinovimi i rrënjësishëm i ndërtesave të banimit kanë nevojë për vëmëndje shumë të lartë nga Komisioni Europian për të kompensuar vitet e humbura për promovimin e gazit natyror”.


Kontaktet:
Pippa Gallop, Southeast Europe Energy Advisor, CEE Bankwatch Network
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+385 99 755 9787


Natasa Kovacevic, Campaigner for Decarbonisation of District Heating in Western Balkans
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+382 67 030 033

https://bankwatch.org/press_release/activists-call-on-eu-to-stop-promoting-fossil-gas-dependence-in-the-western-balkans

 

Media release: Open letter addressed to EC regarding fossil gas in WB region

Fossil gas pipeline illustrating Press Release Activists call on EU to stop promoting fossil gas dependence in the Western Balkans

Media release

5 April 2022

Today’s letter calls on the Commission to ramp up sustainable energy investments that are being neglected in the region, instead of continuing to promote fossil gas.

Denis Žiško from the Aarhus Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said, ‘Promoting increased fossil gas use in the Western Balkans at this stage of the global climate emergency is irresponsible and counterproductive. Our low gas dependency is a plus, not a minus, as we move towards electrification of heating and transport. New infrastructure built now will end up either as stranded assets or as a fossil gas lock-in that will hinder renewables development in the region’.

Nevena Smilevska of Eko-Svest in North Macedonia, said, ‘Irrespective of whether it is from Russia, Azerbaijan or elsewhere, increasing our import dependency is the last thing we need – a fact underlined by this winter’s gas price hikes and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the EU finally realises that its own energy security cannot be based on fossil gas imports, so too must the Commission urgently stop promoting this dead end in the Western Balkans’.

Nataša Kovačević of CEE Bankwatch Network, said, ‘Tackling electricity distribution losses, increasing the use of heat pumps and rooftop solar, innovative heat storage technologies and deep renovation of residential buildings need much more high-level attention from the European Commission to make up for the years lost promoting fossil gas’.

Contacts

Pippa Gallop, Southeast Europe Energy Advisor, CEE Bankwatch Network

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+385 99 755 9787

 

Natasa Kovacevic, Campaigner for Decarbonisation of District Heating in Western Balkans

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+382 67 030 033

 

https://bankwatch.org/press_release/activists-call-on-eu-to-stop-promoting-fossil-gas-dependence-in-the-western-balkans

 

Online interactive dialogue meeting with CSOs for the concept of Energy poverty

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Online interactive dialogue meeting with CSOs for the concept of energy poverty

On the 25th of March 2022, EDEN Center held an overarching online interactive dialogue meeting with CSOs representatives and e-ACT’s local coordinators based in 12 districts of the country. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce the concept of assessment of energy performance based on the energy poverty concept. The meeting was attended by 24 attendees, representing +15 local CSOs based in different cities and regions of Albania, engaged in the environmental, energy, and EU integration process of the country.

The online dialogue for the introduction of assessment of energy performance based on the energy poverty concept started with an opening remark by the EDEN Project Coordinator, Mr Ergi Bregasi, who briefly introduced the overall aim of the “e-ACT” project and the agenda of the meeting.

Following this, the methodology of the assessment of the energy poverty state was shared with the attendees, where comments and suggestions were gathered for its improvement in order to obtain significant findings that will enrich the upcoming advocacy and lobbying discussions with state authorities in charge of energy and environmental issues. The assessment report on energy performance based on the energy poverty concept will support the advocacy efforts and participation of CSOs in the EU pre-accession process, specifically for chapter no.15 Energy. 

The online dialogue on energy poverty assessment methodology wouldn't be productive without the active participation and contribution of CSOs representatives, activists, and local coordinators. 

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The online interactive dialogue meeting with CSOs for the introduction of the energy poverty concept comes as part of the "Empowering Civil Society Activism and Concrete contribution into EU accession negotiation process in Albania", implemented by EDEN Center and EDMI, with the financial support of the European Union in the frame of IPA 2017 program.

#EnergyPoverty #eACT #EUfunded #IPA2017 #GreenPolicies #CSOs

Capacity building of CSOs (advocacy and watchdog for energy and climate issues)

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Capacity building of CSOs (advocacy and watchdog for energy and climate issues)

Throughout October 2021 - February 2022, EDEN Center organised a tailor-made training programme for environmental CSOs, with the purpose of building the capacities of CSOs to enhance their participation and involvement of CSOs in energy and climate issues, in the frame of the EU integration process of Albania, through environmental watchdog, advocacy coalition actions, etc.

The entire training programme was designed to build capacities of CSOs representatives on issues and tools such as - environmental watchdog, climate and energy policies, Chapter no.15 energy, advocacy and participation in the environmental decision-making process - to scale up their contribution and activism in the EU integration process of Albania.

More than +23 CSOs (focused on environmental, energy, climate and EU integration issues) benefited from the training programme. In addition, the training programme was attended by +15 free-lancer activists, experts, non-formal groups, etc.

The initial two training sessions took place in October 2021, with a particular focus on building a successful environmental watchdog campaign. During these training sessions, CSOs representatives were introduced to the main steps in embarking on a watchdog campaign - how to identify a problem that could be converted to a watchdog campaign, legal opportunities to scale up their participation in the environmental decision-making processes, planning and tools. (read more on the detailed article here)

The third training session took place on the 18th of March, with a particular focus on chapter no.15 Energy, Climate and Energy policies. The third training session was designed to provide an overview of the Albanian institutional set-up in charge of climate and energy policies and respective public documents (laws, strategies, action-plans, international duties, etc). The CSOs representatives were introduced to the challenges and opportunities of the progress of climate and energy policies according to the EU acquis. Following this, CSOs representatives worked with each other on drafting possible advocacy/watchdog campaigns to intervene for the improvement of these policies through coalition advocacy actions, campaigns, etc., by combining their previous experience with the gained knowledge during the training.

In order to ensure a sustained transfer of knowledge among environmental CSOs in Albania, an e-manual on "Environmental Watchdog" will follow up this training programme. 

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The capacity-building programme for the CSOs representatives “Trainings on watchdogging, EU integration and energy chapter (15), participation in decision making and advocacy” comes as part of the "Empowering Civil Society Activism and Concrete contribution into EU accession negotiation process in Albania", implemented by EDEN Center and EDMI, with the financial support of the European Union in the frame of IPA 2017 program.

FoE Press release: IPCC New climate report

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Friends of the Earth International Press Release

Monday 28 February

IPCC: New climate report shows accelerating impacts, yet behind the scenes rich countries shamelessly worked to try and water down text relating to loss and damage, and finance for adaptation in developing countries.  

AMSTERDAM, February 28, 2022 - Attempts by the US and developed countries to remove key climate finance terminology from the IPCC’s highly-anticipated Working Group II (WG2) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) have been condemned by global experts and activists as a desperate bid to evade responsibility. In what should have been a scientific, not political, process, rich countries battled to erase references to key concepts like loss and damage and to water down references to the scale of  finance needed for adaptation. According to today’s report, climate impacts are occurring faster, and will worsen even sooner than previously predicted, necessitating an urgent increase in finance to help address climate change in developing countries.

 Activists and experts from Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest grassroots environmental federation, gave their responses.

Meena Raman, Friends of the Earth Malaysia, commented:

“It is a disgrace that decades of cowardly decisions by rich industrial nations have led us here, to the brink of climate catastrophe laid bare in this latest IPCC Assessment Report. The United States in particular must accept its role in creating the climate impacts we’re experiencing right now.

Developed countries’ attempts to remove the concept of loss and damage, and the finance for it from the IPCC report, was largely thwarted, but we condemn this resistance by those most responsible for the climate crisis. This has been a shameless attempt to wriggle off the hook.

Scientists have confirmed that much more finance must urgently flow from developed to developing countries, to enable the latter to adapt and adjust to irreparable damage from climate impacts. This funding is necessary to secure the wellbeing of their citizens and economies. Without it, our hard-fought progress for equity, equality, rights and justice will unravel.”

Hemantha Withanage, Chair of Friends of the Earth International, based in Sri Lanka, said:

“Climate impacts are already happening everywhere, faster, and with worse consequences than ever predicted. We are already witnessing extreme weather events that scientists didn’t expect to see until 2100. After COP26’s false front of flashy announcements, this report is a stark reminder of the reality: Climate chaos is knocking at the door. System change must happen now. Real emissions reductions, real solutions, must happen now.”

Amos Nkpeebo, Friends of the Earth Ghana, added:

“This new IPCC report confirms that some damage is beyond repair and it will be impossible for many communities to adapt, especially if the 1.5 degree threshold is breached. We’re facing the potential of hundreds of millions of people being displaced from their homes within this century, and swathes of farmland turning to dust. We urgently demand finance for adaptation and for loss and damage, to help vulnerable populations.”

Vulnerability to the crisis is shaped by the ongoing legacy of colonialism, as well as intersecting processes of marginalisation, such as gender, Indigenous identity, health, poverty, conflict, and education, according to the report. The science reiterates that the most vulnerable and marginalised must be prioritised when implementing solutions.

Anabela Lemos, Friends of the Earth Mozambique, explained:

“For the 3.3-3.6 billion people living in highly climate-vulnerable countries –almost all of whom are in the Global South – this report is not news[1]. Those of us on the frontlines of the climate crisis have been shouting this from the rooftops for decades. Africa faces some of the worst impacts, and the hottest regions are already becoming intolerable. We will not allow our lives, lands, and cultures to be sacrificed to the bad-faith politics and short-term profits of the global elite.”

Regions in the Global South will struggle to adapt to the impacts extreme weather events will have on food production, according to the report. Scientists warn in the underlying report that the Summary for Policymakers is based on, that this will prevent achieving UN SDG 2 for ‘Zero Hunger’ in regions such as Africa, South Asia, and Small Island States. 

The report also emphasises that Indigenous rights and knowledge are indispensable to tackling climate change. 80% of the planet’s shrinking biodiversity is on Indigenous land, and changes to ecosystems are having immediate impacts on Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Ricardo Navarro, CESTA / Friends of the Earth El Salvador, added:

“We are witnessing the first climate-driven extinctions, and some forests, permafrost and peatlands have already transformed, from sinks into sources of carbon. These shifts are irreversible. Thriving ecosystems that once helped us apply the brakes are now accelerating the crisis, buckling under conditions that have no precedent over the past millennia. Only a total ramp-down of fossil fuels and dirty energy can prevent us hitting more tipping points.”

The IPCC report also warns of some of the dangers of implementing dangerous technofixes like solar radiation modification, and large scale bioenergy, with or without carbon capture and storage.[2] Sara Shaw, Climate Justice and Energy International Program Coordinator at Friends of the Earth International said:

“This report sounds the alarm about the risks of some of the technologies that rich countries and transnational corporations are betting on, to avoid an urgent and necessary phase out of fossil fuels.”

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With this report, the science once again reiterates what hundreds of thousands of people were calling for on the streets of Glasgow and worldwide last November: decisive, systemic action from governments. That means an end to fossil fuel subsidies, a flow of climate finance from developed to developing countries, and a fair and rapid transition to renewable energy, for all.

Press Conference - Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability on Youtube

Notes for Editors

[1] IPCC, 2022: Summary for Policymakers, In: Climate Change 2022 Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change B.2 (page 12)

[2]IPCC, 2022: Summary for Policymakers, In: Climate Change 2022 Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability, Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change B.5.4 and B.5.5 (Page 20, 21)