Uzbekistan’s policy on adaptation and mitigation of climate change

In recent years, the climate agenda has become one of the priority areas of Uzbekistan’s domestic and foreign policy. This trend is explained by the fact that the country is increasingly feeling the effects of global climate change.

At the same time, the measures taken by the government to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change are taken in accordance with Uzbekistan’s commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement and other international documents to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

It is noteworthy that in our country, special attention is paid to the issues of adaptation and mitigation of climate change at the highest level. This is confirmed by the words of the Head of State, who has repeatedly emphasized and emphasizes at various venues the priority of the climate agenda for Uzbekistan.

Thus, addressing the Parliament and the people (December 2022), Sh. Mirziyoyev noted that “at present, serious environmental problems are emerging in Uzbekistan, as well as throughout the world. In most regions, these include soil degradation, reduction of fertile land, desertification, water shortages, drought, increased frequency of emergencies, as well as issues of providing the population with clean drinking water. Therefore, caring for nature, preserving the purity of water, air and the environment should become a real concern for the residents of each mahalla.”

At a joint session of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis (July 2023), the President once again emphasized that “solving the problems of ecology and environmental protection, water shortage will continue to be an urgent task for us. We are all, of course, in favor of ensuring ecological balance, clean air and water, a clean environment. This issue is extremely relevant and important for us. Large-scale programs aimed at preserving and strengthening the invaluable ecosystem are being implemented in the country. We will continue this work at an accelerated pace.” Speaking at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (September 2023), the Head of State also noted that “Uzbekistan, to the best of its ability, continues to direct efforts to eliminate the consequences of the Aral tragedy, which is a global problem. The support of the international community is very important to continue work in this direction,” the President said. In turn, at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-28, UAE 2023), the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev noted that “the transition to a green economy and achieving carbon neutrality are a priority strategic task of the New Uzbekistan.”

Understanding the importance and urgency of action in addressing climate change issues, such as the transition to environmentally friendly energy sources, meeting energy needs and ensuring sustainable development, Uzbekistan joined the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1993, ratified the Kyoto Protocol (1999) and the Paris Agreement (2018). Also in 2021, at the 26th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-26), Uzbekistan announced additional commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 35% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. In 2022, the country joined the global initiative Global Methan Pledge to achieve the collective goal of reducing methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2020.

In order to fulfill the undertaken obligations, the national legal framework has significantly expanded and strengthened in recent years. In particular, the key areas of Uzbekistan’s climate policy were recorded in such flagship documents as the Development Action Strategy for 2017-2020, the Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy, as well as such program documents as the Environmental Protection Concept until 2030, the Water Resources Development Concept for 2020-2030, the Agricultural Development Strategy for 2020-2030, the Strategy for the Transition to a Green Economy for 2019-2030, the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for 2019-2028 and others. In addition, the Strategy for Decarbonization of the Economy of Uzbekistan until 2060 has been developed.

To ensure the practical implementation of these programs, as well as for the development of agriculture and water management, energy, environmental protection, etc., a number of laws, decrees and resolutions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan have been adopted. In addition, the Water, Ecological and Social Codes are being developed in the country.

These documents set out the main areas for achieving target indicators for the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures, including:

1. a) reducing specific greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 30-35% by 2030 compared to the baseline of 2010;
2. b) introducing cleaner and safer industrial technologies and increasing the energy efficiency of economic sectors by 2 times, industrial infrastructure – by 20%;
3. c) increasing the efficiency of water use in all sectors of the economy, introducing water-saving irrigation technologies up to 2 million hectares and increasing crop yields by 30-35%;
4. d) increasing the production capacity of renewable energy sources (RES) to 15-25 GW and bringing their share in the total volume of electric energy production to more than 30-40%;
5. d) expanding the area of protected natural areas to 12% of the country’s territory, as well as increasing forest plantations in the Aral Sea region to 2.3 million hectares;
6. e) introducing international and national “green” criteria in the field of public investment and procurement, a system of certification of energy efficiency of buildings, etc.

By now, the country has already seen the practical implementation of measures to achieve these targets.

Thus, in order to improve energy efficiency, since 2020, it has become mandatory to determine the class and technical indicators of energy efficiency of products (equipment, goods) and technologies during their certification in Uzbekistan.

Since August 1, 2024, the ISO 50001 energy management system has been gradually introduced at domestic enterprises and organizations, providing for transparency and objectivity in assessing energy efficiency, reducing energy intensity and reducing emissions into the atmosphere. The implementation of this standard will allow enterprises to obtain an international certificate to reach the international level.

Measures are being taken to stimulate energy efficiency in the household sector, including compensation for part of the expenses of individuals when installing solar photovoltaic stations in homes, interest expenses on loans from commercial banks to individuals and legal entities for the purchase of renewable energy installations, energy-efficient gas burners and boilers, as well as other energy-efficient equipment. From November 1, 2024, energy efficiency categories for buildings and structures with an area of over 200 square meters were introduced in Uzbekistan. The objects will be divided into categories from “A” – this is the highest energy efficiency to “G” – the lowest energy efficiency. By the end of 2024, a specialized electronic platform will be created for maintaining a register of energy passports and reports on the results of energy audits of buildings and structures. Mandatory energy audits will be carried out at least once every five years.

In addition, a course has been taken to increase the share of renewable energy sources (RES). According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in 2020-2023, the volume of solar energy in the country increased 63 times, from 4 MW to 253 MW, which experts associate with the commissioning of a solar power plant in the Karmana district of the Navoi region in 2021.

By the end of 2023, solar and photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of more than 1.1 thousand MW and wind power plants with a capacity of 500 MW were put into operation. In general, it is planned to increase the capacity of “green” power plants to 27 GW by 2030. At the same time, the country is taking measures to save water and rationally use water resources. The country has adopted a sectoral adaptation plan for water management for 2024-2030.

One of the priority areas is the introduction of water-saving technologies for irrigation. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, in 2023-2024, the area covered by water-saving technologies increased from 1 to 1.6 million hectares (from 23% to 37% of the total area of ​​irrigated land – 4.3 million hectares).

The introduction of water-saving technologies allows saving up to 30-40% of water, fertilizers and fuel – up to 25-30%. By 2030, it is planned to cover all irrigated lands with water-saving technologies.