USD 4 million committed to Albania SDG Acceleration Fund by Sweden to further bolster sustainable business practices and raise awareness of the SDGs within the private sector

An additional $4 Million is confirmed to be added to the Albania's SDG Acceleration Fund, with commitment to encourage sustainable business practices and raise awareness of the SDGs within the private sector in Albania.

As the country pushes towards the European Union and strives to align with EU standards and the aquis, increasing awareness and implementation of sustainable business practices among companies is crucial in driving the country’s economic growth.

The positive outcome of this investment is business’s better alignment with EU standards and production of quality goods suitable for export to EU markets, the creation of decent jobs helping to reduce push factors in migration and helping to address labor shortages, and better business positioning to meet opportunities of growing demand. The introducing of sustainable business practices also means more efficient use of resources, reduction in pollution levels and environmental damage. All these are key factors for a healthier, climate friendly and livable environment.  

The committed funds by the Government of Sweden will be allocated to the second phase of the Business Partnerships & Solutions for SDGs—a joint UN Programme in Albania through 2024-27 and will reward and support Albanian businesses to incorporate SDGs into their business models, with initial targeting in the key sectors of agri-business and tourism and the textile, clothing, leather, and footwear industries.  These are sectors of the economy where small and medium enterprises dominate, many women are employed and where the government places priority in enhancing economic performance and employment in Albania.  Work in this area aligns squarely with the end results sought in Strategic Priority B of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022 – 2026 in pursing sustainable, resilient and green economic growth and resource management.

Building on the activities and lessons learned from the first phase of the Programme, phase II places a strong focus on value chain development tapping the technical experience and core competencies of UNDP, ILO, UNIDO and FAO. FAO and UNDP will be mostly working with Micro and Small Enterprises in the agri sector, while the ILO and UNIDO will also work with medium and large enterprises such as factories and manufacturers. Together, the programme will also work strategically through communication campaigns, targeted events and SDG pioneer awards, to spread awareness on SDGs and sustainable practices mediating with policy makers, as well as building connections and linkages with expertise from Swedish companies, universities, and institutions.

The Albania SDG Acceleration Fund acts as a facilitator, streamlining collaboration between donors and UN agencies. Additionally, it provides an avenue for smaller contributors to participate in more extensive projects, thereby amplifying developmental impacts.

The Albania SDG Acceleration Fund is a key vehicle for joint UN programme delivery in Albania. Established in 2007, since then fifteen partners, including the Government of Albania have contributed more than $75 million to the Fund.  With a focus, following the earthquake in 2019 and the pandemic on supporting joint UN agency interventions in crises response and continued work on driving change in laws, policy and practice to ensure no one is left behind and ending violence against women.   The Fund has also been instrumental in enhancing the strategic alignment and concerted UN efforts for SDG acceleration and has had widespread and tangible outcomes in line with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.