PRESS RELEASE
Bank of Albania: Presentation of the first draft of the Green Taxonomy

The Bank of Albania, in collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB), today hosted a technical and inter-institutional workshop advancing the development of Albania’s Green Taxonomy.

This activity forms part of the EIB’s technical assistance programme supporting the green transition of financial systems and marks a milestone towards establishing a robust framework to guide investment across the Albanian economy.

The Green Taxonomy aims to enhance transparency in financial markets, channel capital towards sectors that support sustainable development, and strengthen long-term financial stability. The workshop brought together representatives from public institutions, international organisations, the financial sector, the business community and environmental organisations to present the first draft of the Green Taxonomy.

In her opening remarks, the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Albania, Ms Natasha Ahmetaj, underscored the importance of drafting the Green Taxonomy as a key instrument for steering investments toward sustainable activities and aligning the development standards of Albania’s economy with those of the European Union.

She highlighted the close inter-institutional collaboration underpinning the preparation of the first draft, supported by the European Investment Bank, and emphasised the role of this process in shaping the climate information architecture, strengthening financial stability and aligning with national climate and environmental objectives. The Deputy Governor noted that the workshop serves as a consultation platform to present the first draft of the Green Taxonomy, gather technical feedback from stakeholders and support its effective implementation.

In conclusion, the Deputy Governor reaffirmed the Bank of Albania’s commitment to advancing green finance in the national economy, in line with the Paris Agreement and the objective of financial stability. The successful completion of this project also contributes to fulfilling key requirements of Albania’s EU integration process.

The activity was conducted in two roundtable sessions. The first session brought together senior officials and inter-institutional technical groups from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the Bank of Albania working group, and the Albanian Financial Supervisory Authority (AFSA),‑ as part of the same inter-institutional group on Green Taxonomy.  The second session was attended by representatives from the banking sector, regulated professions, large corporations, environmental organizations, and chambers of commerce, with the aim of gathering feedback for the finalization of the document.

During the sessions, the core concepts of taxonomy were presented, alongside the technical screening criteria for classifying economic activities. Discussions also focused on their adaptation to the Albanian context and alignment with European Union standards.

Following the conclusion of the consultation process, the document is expected to be finalised, and inter-institutional cooperation formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, laying the groundwork for the effective implementation of the taxonomy in Albania.