Out of pace or out of the race?

Out of pace or out of the race?

Status and prospects of energy transition in the Western Balkans
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Our world is facing one of its greatest challenges: the race to zero (emissions) and climate-neutrality.

Science tells us almost everything we need to know about the rules of this race. Moreover, most countries have read these and signed-up to enter the race years ago, in Paris, in 2015.

The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, was adopted by 196 countries at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.

Its main goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.

Product details
Date of Publication
February 2021
Publisher
Heinrich Boell Foundation
Number of Pages
19
Licence
Table of contents

The Race: Climate-Neutrality by 2050 ...................................... 4

The Vehicle: Decarbonisation ..................................................... 4

The Western Balkans, Team Europe ......................................... 4

The Race Stages: 2020, 2030 ........................................................ 4

The indicators: Our decarbonisation speedometer .............. 4

Mostly burning fossil fuels, inefficiently. ................................. 5

Stuck in coal, in breach of emission standards ...................... 9

2020: Out of pace .......................................................................... 10

Energy poverty: poor or wasteful? .......................................... 12

Racing with(out) roadmaps ....................................................... 14

Albania ............................................................................................ 14

Bosnia and Herzegovina ............................................................ 15

Kosovo* ........................................................................................... 16

North Macedonia .......................................................................... 16

Montenegro .................................................................................... 17

Serbia ............................................................................................... 17

Out of pace or out of the race? .................................................. 18