STATE AUDIT OFFICE
- Press Release-
Skopje, 27.08.2025
The Prolonged Procedure for Adopting the Climate Action Law, Lasting Over Five Years, Has a Negative Impact on the Institutional System, Coordination, and Communication Among Institutions Involved in the Climate Change Process
The competent authorities in the country need to undertake additional measures and actions to address climate change due to, among other things, the absence of a clearly defined structural setup, coordination, and communication among parties involved in the climate change process, as well as the fact that a National Climate Change Adaptation Plan has not yet been adopted
The chairmanship of SAI Brazil within the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), in partnership with the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA), initiated an innovative project—Climate Scanner— designed to develop a rapid assessment tool for evaluating national governments’ actions on climate change.
The State Audit Office of the Republic of North Macedonia joined 141 SAIs from around the world and participated in the Climate Scanner initiative. The results were processed and presented at the World Climate Conference COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, which was attended by heads of state and government from 200 countries, including the Republic of North Macedonia.
Assessment by the Climate Scener for the Republic of North Macedonia
The data gathered through the Climate Scanner served as the foundation for a performance audit titled "Preparedness of the Republic of North Macedonia for Addressing Climate Change", aiming to answer the question: "Has the Government established mechanisms, systems, and policies to address climate change?"
Based on the scope and evidence obtained, auditors obtained reasonable assurance that in North Macedonia, the basic prerequisites are met, and some progress has been made in policy creation. However, additional measures and activities are required to establish effective mechanisms and systems to deal with climate change.
The audit activities focused on three areas:
- climate change governance,
- public climate policies and
- climate change financing.
Regarding climate change governance, although existing environmental legislation addresses certain climate-related issues, it is insufficient to establish a comprehensive national system for managing climate change. The climate action law has been pending for over five years, leaving the country without an institutional framework, coordination, or communication among the institutions involved. Despite the involvement of many institutions, legal entities, and stakeholders in the draft climate action law, local governments, which are crucial for policy implementation, have been excluded.
Due to weak administrative capacities, a centralized database required to prepare and update the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory has not been established. The latest inventory, supported by international projects, was produced in 2019. Thus, no data is available for the past five years, which is an inadequate basis for effective policy creation and climate governance.
The Long-Term Climate Action Strategy commits the country to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions (excluding MEMO emissions) by 72% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. However, no goal of net-zero emissions has been defined, falling short of commitments under the European Green Deal.
Ambitions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by sector (in percentages) for the period 1990-2030 according to the revised NDC
According to its Revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), North Macedonia has committed to an 82% reduction in net emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. However, official data from the Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows only a 9.2% reduction by 2019.
The lack of monitoring mechanisms by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) and the failure to report by relevant ministries prevent assessment of the effectiveness of implemented measures in achieving the targets.
Regarding public climate policies, as a signatory to the Paris Agreement since 2015, North Macedonia defined its national contribution through its First NDC, and in 2021, adopted more ambitious goals with the Revised NDC, fulfilling its treaty obligations. Although a dedicated Mitigation Strategy has not been adopted as a separate strategic document, the Revised NDC includes the policies and measures for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
The country lacks a National Adaptation Plan. Some sectoral strategies include adaptation measures, but due to the absence of tracking mechanisms, it is not possible to confirm whether the measures are appropriate or effective in achieving the targets set out in the Revised NDC.
With regard to climate change financing, the Long-Term Climate Action Strategy estimates that implementing climate policies and measures from 2020 to 2050 will require 35 billion euros in capital investments and 21 billion euros in energy sector costs. Yet, without a legal framework, the state budget does not feature a climate tagging system to identify projects relevant to or associated with climate change. Consequently, the government lacks relevant data on climate-related financial resources. Between 2020 and 2024, no Biennial Update Reports (BURs) were produced, despite international obligations to report on the use of national budget funds, budgets of local self-government units, and funds from international institutions and the private sector.
To address the identified issues, recommendations have been made to prompt actions by competent institutions and responsible parties, creating conditions that will enhance North Macedonia’s efforts in tackling climate change.
Press Contact:
Albiona Mustafa Muhaxhiri +389 72228 203 [email protected]
Mijalche Durgutov +389 70 358 486 [email protected]
Martin Duvnjak +389 75 268 517 [email protected]