URI represents Albania at the GEF-9 Regional Planning Workshop in Chișinău
From 8 to 11 September 2026, the Urban Research Institute (URI) together with the Ministry of Environment represented Albania in Chișinău, Moldova, for the GEF-9 Planning Workshop for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova organised the workshop. It brought together representatives from 16 countries to look at the priorities and opportunities of the new GEF-9 funding cycle.
Turning national priorities into projects
Over four days, participants talked about how countries can turn national environmental priorities into projects that get funded and make a difference. The sessions covered:
- GEF focal areas: biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, international waters, and chemicals and waste
- GEF-9’s new integrated programmes and financing instruments, including blended finance
- Working together: better coordination between institutions, more private sector involvement, and raising more funding
Sharing Albania’s e-Mobility experience
URI presented lessons from its project work to other countries and key stakeholders. Together with the Ministry of Environment and UNIDO, URI shared practical lessons and working methods from the e-Mobility project. Participants also discussed how the approach could be adapted and repeated in other countries and settings.
Civil society as a partner
The third day looked at what civil society organisations (CSOs) can do for GEF projects beyond receiving funding. Participants discussed how CSOs help through technical expertise, local knowledge and capacity, and the sharing of good practice. Above all, CSOs bring communities into the work of lasting change. URI sees this as central to its own work.
Looking ahead
URI thanks the Global Environment Facility for four productive, interactive days that made room for cooperation, learning from each other, and new ideas. URI will keep working with national institutions and regional partners to help Albania make the most of GEF-9.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the world’s largest family of funds dedicated to environmental protection. As the financial mechanism for six multilateral conventions, the GEF supports countries’ efforts to address the root causes of environmental degradation, contributing to the achievement of global goals on nature, climate and pollution.
Over the past three decades, the GEF has been the largest public financier in the field of environment, providing over US$27 billion, mainly in the form of grants, and mobilizing another US$155 billion for priority projects initiated and implemented according to country needs.
