Net-Zero transition for Post-communist Urban Neighbourhoods in, Albania

Since November 10th 2020, through the Berlin Process Albania officially acknowledges the European Green Deal (EC 2019) as the new growth strategy towards a modern, climate neutral, resource efficient economy. Moreover, the joint declaration of Western Balkans leaders in Sofia provides a set of commitments and a detailed actions plan for the following 5 pillars; a) Climate, energy, mobility; b) Circular Economy; c) Depollution; d) Sustainable agriculture and food production; e) Biodiversity. Browsing natural and climatic events from the last decade in Albania, one could prove as highly credible both the observed and projected effects of climate change in WB and Mediterranean basin by the sixth assessment report of IPPCC . Also, most of the articles from regional scholars indicate that WB is a region where the impacts of climate change are probably the major threat to its vulnerable economies given the exposure and low resilience. Being a region where annual emissions per capita are more than half of the emissions from EU countries and slightly more than a quarter compared to the States (Knez, 2022) pose the risk of under-commitment and slow transitioning towards climate neutrality. Therefore, it is of great importance to propose at least two preconditions before we invest in knowledge and action, first managing duly the Green Transition as it offers a possibility to increase the region resilience a second to consume as much participatory processes as it can so that the transition is just for all communities. The research proposed by Co-PLAN Institute for Habitat Development, within the auspices of GreenForce action will focus on Climate, Energy and Depollution pillars, specifically addressing through a combination of urban components, the socio-economic benefits and implications of transiting toward “net-zero-emission building” (NZEB) for communities living in prefabricated blocks, constructed massively across Eastern Europe during 60’-80’ whilst it is estimated that only in Tirana 6% of its population is accommodated in these blocks. NEZB stands for a building that has a very high energy performance, while the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. Based on the “The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive ” it requires initially to develop long-term renovation strategies aiming to facilitate the cost-effective transformation of existing buildings into nearly zero- energy buildings. Among others, through this research we intend to contribute with evidence-based data to what we believe will be a long-lasting debate regarding crucial decision-making practice that already took place since post-earthquake . Preservation through renovation or Demolition and Reconceptualization of Tirana’s Prefabricated (Large Panel System) neighborhoods. This research will stimulate environmental-socio-economic implication of transforming the proposed building stock into zero emission buildings by 2050 vis a vi demolition and construction of new blocks. However, transiting to zero emission buildings and therefore also neighborhoods, while beneficial for the society, it does come with high-costs, especially for the short-term period.