Legal Framework for climate change

The main legal basis for climate change policymaking in the Republic of North Macedonia currently is the:

• Law on Environment (2005) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 53/05, 81/05, 24/07, 159/08, 83/09, 48/10, 124/10, 51/11, 123/12, 93/13, 187/13, 42/14, 44/15, 129/15, 192/15, 39/16)

• where Article 187 refers to the National Plan for Climate Change mitigation, and Article 188 refers to the National Inventory of GHG Emissions. 

• Law on Climate Action 

• which is under development and is to be completed in 2022, is expected to fully transpose EU climate legislation, enabling low-carbon development and climate change resilience. 

Regarding the adjustment of the national legal framework for climate change to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Republic of North Macedonia has adopted the following laws:

• Law on Ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 61/97)

• Law on Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 49/2004)

• Law on Ratification of the Paris Agreement (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 161/2017)

• Law on Ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 152/2019 dated 25.07.2019)

• Law on Ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Official Gazette of RSM No. 34/2020)

Mainstreaming climate change in sectoral policies

Different aspects of climate change are integrated to varying degrees into sectoral laws on national level:

• Climate change and climate action

• Law on Climate Action (under development, it is expected to be completed in 2022)

• Climate change and energy

• Energy Law (2018) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 96, 28.5.2018) 

• Climate change and energy balances

• Rulebook on energy balances and energy statistics

• Climate change and energy markets

• Rulebook on the manner and procedure for monitoring the functioning of energy markets

• Climate change and energy efficiency

• Law on Energy Efficiency (2020) (Official Gazette of the RNM no. 32, 10.2.2020)

• Rulebook on Marking Energy Consumption and Other Resources for Energy Products (2016)

• Rulebook on amending the Rulebook on energy performance of buildings (2015)

• Rulebook on the maximum amount of the fee for issuing a certificate confirming that the minimum requirements for energy efficiency contained in the core design are in accordance with the minimum requirements for energy efficiency set out in the Rulebook on energy performance of buildings and the maximum amount of compensation for issuance of a certificate for the energy characteristics of a building (2015)

• Rulebook on Energy Control (2013)

• Decree on eco product design (2011)

• Climate change and renewable energy

• Rulebook on Renewable Energy Sources (2019) (Official Gazette of the RNM no. 112, 3.6.2019) 

• Decree on the measures for support of the electricity generation from renewable energy sources (2019) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 29, 5.2.2019) 

• Decision on the total installed capacity of the preferential producers of electricity (2019) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 29, 5.2.2019) 

• Decision on the national mandatory goals for the share of energy generated from renewable sources in the gross final energy consumption and for the share of energy generated from renewable sources in the final energy consumption in transport (2019) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 29, 5.2.2019) 

• Climate change and waste

• Law on Waste Management (Consultation document 2020)

• Climate change and transportation

• Law on Vehicles (2016) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 140/08, 53/11, 123/12, 70/13, 164/13, 138/14, 154/15, 192/15, 39/16) 

• Law on Motor Vehicle Tax (2019) (Official Gazette of the RNM no. 261/2019)

• Climate change and air

• Law on Ambient Air Quality (2012)

• Climate change and gender equality

• Law on Equal opportunities between men and women (2014)

• Climate change and spatial planning

• Law on Urban Planning (2020) (Official Gazette of the RNM no. 32/2020)

• Law on Amendments to the Law on Spatial and Urban Planning (2015) (Official Gazette of the RM no. 199/14, 44/15)
  
  

Strategic framework for climate change

The strategic framework for climate change at the national level includes strategic documents, national action plans and programs that contain aspects related to climate change:

• Climate change and climate action

• Long-term strategy on climate action and action plan 

• Climate change and energy

• National Energy and Climate Plan (under development, it is expected to be completed in 2022)

• The Strategy for Energy Development in RNM until 2040 (2019) (Official Gazette of the RNM no. 25/20, 05.02.2020)

• Climate change and energy poverty

• Program for protection of vulnerable energy consumers for year 2020 (Official Gazette of the RNM no. 13, 17.01.2020)

• Climate change and energy balances

• Statistical research program for the period of 2018-2022

• Climate change and energy efficiency

• Strategy of Improvement of Energy Efficiency in the Republic of North Macedonia until 2020 (2010)

• The Third Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP) of the Republic of Macedonia (2016-2018)

• Climate change and renewable energy

• The Strategy for Renewable Energy of Macedonia until 2020 (2010)

• Program for financial support for generation of electricity from preferential producers who use premium for 2019 (2019)

• Climate change and industry

  • Industrial strategy of the Republic of Macedonia 2018-2027 (Macedonian version only)
    
  
  

• Climate change and waste

• National Waste Management Plan of the Republic of Macedonia 2020 - 2026 (Draft Consultation Document)

• Climate change and transport

• National Transport Strategy 2018-2030 (2018)

• Law on Excise Duty (Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia" No. 108/19, 143/19, 225/19 and 275/19) (Macedonian version only)
  

• Climate change and agriculture

• National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development 2021-2027 (Macedonian version only)
  

• National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development for the period 2014-2020 (2014)

• National Program for Agricultural Development and Rural Development for the period 2018-2022 (2018)

• Climate change and regional development

• STRATEGY FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA (2021-2031) (Macedonian)
  

• Climate change and green jobs

• Based on the conclusions of the 59th Session of the Government of RSM for development of youth policies, a working group has been established to connect the "green" jobs with youth unemployment. Promotion of green jobs inserted in the Strategic Plan of the MoEPP for the period 2020-2022

• The potential of creation of green new jobs according to the analysis in the Climate Change Scenarios (TBUR) (2020)

• Climate change and air

• National Ambient Air Protection Plan in the Republic of Macedonia (2012)

• Clean Air Plan - reduce air pollution. Government Strategic Program (2019)

• Climate change and gender equality

• Strategy for Gender equality (2022 - 2027) (Macedonian version only)
  

• Implementation of the Action Plan for integrating gender aspects responsiveness in the preparation of the 4th National Communication/ 3rd Biennial Update Report (2019-2022)

• Climate change and health

• Action Plan for Prevention of Harmful Impacts and Consequences of Cold Weather and Cold Waves on the Health of the Population in the Republic of Macedonia (2012)

• Action plan for prevention of the consequences of heat waves on the health of the population in the Republic of Macedonia (2011)

• Climate change and nature

• National Strategy for Nature Protection 2017-2027
• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2018-2023

• Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals

• Voluntary National Review (2020)

International climate change agreements adopted

The country has joined and aligns its policies with relevant international climate change initiatives:

• The Copenhagen Accord (2009)

• Silesia Declaration on Just Transition (2018)

• High Ambition Coalition (2018)

• Climate Ambition Alliance (2019)

• Cultural Heritage Partnership to Enable Ambitious Climate Action-Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on Cultural and Natural Heritage (2019)

• Climate Action for Jobs (2019)

• Cool Coalition - Efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all (2019)

• Social and Political Drivers Coalition (2019)

• French-German Alliance for Multilateralism (2019)

• Call for Action to strengthen respect for international humanitarian law and principled humanitarian action;        

• Paris Call for trust and security in the cyberspace;

• International Partnership for information and Democracy;

• Joint Position on Climate and Security;

• Declaration by the Alliance for Multilateralism on Lethal Autonomous Weapons System (LAWS);

• Gender at the Center Initiative Putting gender equality at the center of education sector planning.

• World Leader Summit Statement on the Breakthrough Agenda – POWER: Clean power is the most affordable and reliable option for all countries to meet their power needs efficiently by 2030 (2021)

• Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use (2021)

• Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action

Although the Republic of North Macedonia is a non-Annex I country, it is also a candidate member state to the EU; therefore, it has to adhere to EU Climate and Energy policies which assume the obligations of the UNFCCC Annex I countries.

The country is also Contracting Party of the Energy Community, which is rapidly advancing the implementation of EU regulations for monitoring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gases and taking steps to tackle the climate crisis.

Institutional framework on climate change on national level

The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) is the institution responsible for climate change policymaking, and it is the nationally designated entity for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as the nationally designated entity for implementing the Kyoto Protocol.

Other ministries responsible for relevant climate change policymaking are:

• Ministry of Economy,

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy,

• Ministry of Transport and Communications,

• Ministry of Health, and

• Ministry of Finance.

Other relevant institutions and bodies with responsibilities regarding climate change:

• The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs is responsible for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and is also the nationally designated entity for the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

• The National Climate Change Committee has been set up by the Government, and is a comprehensive political platform that provides a high level of support for the development and implementation of climate change activities. It consists of representatives nominated by key stakeholders. from national institutions, academic institutions, the private sector and civil society, and climate change coordinators designated by ministries.

• The Technical Group in the Sustainable Development Council, as well as other key stakeholders in the government and civil society, are also involved in the process of creating climate change-related policies.

National focal points for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change:

• UNFCCC National Focal Point: Teodora Obradovic Grncarovska, State Adviser on Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning

• UNFCCC National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point: Elena Grozdanova, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy

International institutions and donors providing financial and technical support for the reporting process:

• Global Environment Facility (GEF)

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Reporting to the Framework Convention on Climate Change

The process of preparation and submission of the National Communications and the Biennial Update Reports to the UNFCCC is led by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. To date, the Republic of North Macedonia has submitted the following communications and reports to the UNFCCC:

• First National Communication on Climate Change (2003)

• Second National Communication on Climate Change (2008)

• Third National Communication on Climate Change (2013)

• Fourth National Communication on Climate Change (under development, expected to be completed in 2022)

• Intended Nationally Detemined Contributions to climate change (2015)

• First Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (2015)

• Second Biennial Update Report on Climate Change Report (2017)

• Third Biennial Update Report on Climate Change Report (2021)

• Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions on Climate Change 

https://www.unicef.org/environment-and-climate-change/climate-declaration