Twenty-two journalists and civil society activists participated in the discussion on corruption in Albania’s environmental sector.
The roundtable was moderated by Besjana Guri, executive director of the LUMI Center and the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize winner for Europe.
The event was organized as part of the project “Promoting Accountability through Investigative Journalism,” supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The project aims to build bridges between journalists and civil society to jointly strengthen the fight against corruption and impunity through investigative journalism.
Key topics discussed included the environmental impact of energy generation projects—particularly photovoltaic and wind turbines; the management of water resources and rivers; the cumulative evaluation of development projects on protected areas; waste management and overlapping impact-assessment responsibilities among local institutions and government; climate change and its effects on agriculture and human health; and the costs and potential benefits of aligning with EU environmental legislation.
Insights from the roundtable will inform an upcoming call for investigative grants for mid-career reporters. The call will provide three reporting grants for journalists investigating corruption and abuse of office in Albania’s environmental sector.