During 3 and 4 June 2019, a meeting was held in Ohrid, where more than 70 CSOs working in different field, joined in one mission to establish a National Climate Coalition in North Macedonia.

The purpose of coalition is to unite CSOs and experts, and use it as a tool to ensure effective participation in processes related to the Law and Climate Action Strategy, as well as climate change at central and local levels.

Day 1 saw government and non-government representatives discuss:

1. the importance and benefits of joint work by CSOs in terms of climate-related issues;
2. forests and their importance in mitigating the effects of climate change;
3. the national context for climate change and climate action, the legal and institutional framework, and a road map for climate action;
4. EU accession, the Paris Agreement and the national development nexus of Macedonian Climate Action i.e. how to be inclusive and engage effectively all stakeholders, including CSOs;
5. the integration and mainstreaming of climate considerations e.g. the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and the stakeholder process involved in its formulation; and
6. the views of CSOs on priorities for effective institutions and legal instruments for climate action, where CSOs brainstormed “prescriptive - positive” and “penalised -negative” aspects of the forthcoming Law on Climate Action and NECP/Climate Strategy, covering the core issues of:
   1. agriculture and food, including waste/residues;
   2. biodiversity and forests;
   3. industry and energy, including air pollution; and
   4. sustainable development in urban and rural areas.

Day 2 involved CSOs discussing the formation of the Climate Coalition, as well as its structure, functioning, vision, mission, goals and methods of communication.

The event was hosted by CNVP Macedonia, DEM and Eko-svest within the framework of the 36 month EU-funded project Communities Communicating Climate Change.