The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have formalised their partnership to support a just, secure and affordable energy transition in North Macedonia.
Today, the two institutions signed a Joint Declaration officially welcoming UNDP as a partner of the Just Energy Transition Investment Platform (JETIP), further strengthening the country’s institutional capacity to implement this strategic process.
JETIP serves as a key government coordination mechanism aimed at linking priority energy investments including renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, energy storage and system flexibility with concrete just transition measures. These include workforce reskilling, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and direct engagement with communities in regions traditionally dependent on coal.
“Through the Investment Platform, we are building the foundation for a long-term and coordinated energy transition that connects investments, policies and citizens’ needs. The partnership with UNDP is particularly important as it further strengthens support for communities and local stakeholders directly affected by the transition. Cooperation with UNDP will contribute to the next phase of JETIP implementation through support for local development, inclusive planning, and strengthened implementation capacities for a just transition, including support to stakeholders and local communities,” said Sanja Bozhinovska, Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, during the event, welcoming the partnership with UNDP.
For UNDP, joining the Just Energy Transition Investment Platform represents a strategic milestone and an important step forward in its partnership with the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources.
Marking the partnership, Armen Grigoryan highlighted that joining JETIP creates important opportunities for closer collaboration with international financial institutions and development partners through a fully coordinated approach.
“The country has demonstrated remarkable climate leadership through its ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 82% by 2030,” said Grigoryan. “JETIP is the engine that will turn this ambition into reality, aiming to deploy 1.7 GW of renewable energy capacity and mobilise significant investments for grid modernisation, energy storage and just transition measures. UNDP brings important added value to the platform through its expertise. We are already seeing the impact of this approach through the Green Finance Facility Programme for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments for households and SMEs, financed by the Joint SDG Fund, the Government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.”
JETIP implementation is supported through a Technical Support Unit established by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Skopje, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Unit enables day-to-day coordination and effective communication among all stakeholders, led by the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources and platform partners.
