A meeting of national and international partners was held in Ashgabat to officially launch the GIZ project “European Union for green Turkmenistan: Policy dialogue and Climate Action 2024-2028,” the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports.
The event was attended by project managers and representatives of relevant ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of the embassies of the Federal Republic of Germany, Great Britain, UN agencies in Turkmenistan, the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, the International Trade Center, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Addressing the participants with a welcoming speech, Borislav Dimitrov, Program Manager at the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan, noted the commitment of the Government of Turkmenistan to the climate agenda and expressed confidence that the project, which is of mutual interest, will allow building dialogue and strategic partnership.
Dirk Jacobi, Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Turkmenistan, welcomed the project’s focus on integrating environmental policy at the level of the Central Asian region, which will help countries move towards a “green” future together.
Ms. Carolina Milow, GIZ Program Manager, presented the general concept of the project, which is a part of the Team Europe initiative on water, energy and climate change in Central Asia and is aimed at supporting Turkmenistan’s efforts in the field of green sustainable development through the adoption of best practices and EU standards.
As part of the event program, an indicative project implementation plan was presented and an overview of possible pilot projects was made. In particular, they relate to training in the use of renewable energy sources, monitoring and reducing methane emissions, and measures to adapt to climate change to protect the environment.
The EU’s national partners in the project are the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Energy, and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, and the State Concern Turkmengaz.
During the meeting, Abdurakhman Myratdurdiyev, Deputy Head of the Long-term Development Service of the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan, and Mukhammetberdy Byashiyev, Head of the Environmental Protection Department of the Natural Gas Research Institute of Türkmengaz Group, briefed on Turkmenistan’s priorities in the field of energy, environmental protection and climate change.
At the international level, the country has ratified the fundamental conventions related to climate change, supported the Paris Agreement and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in 2030 relative to the level of emissions in 2010. During the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-28) in Dubai, UAE, Turkmenistan announced its accession to the Global Methane Pledge.
At the regional level, including within the framework of the Green Central Asia Initiative, Turkmenistan took an active part in the development of the “Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Central Asia” and was the first among the countries of the region to approve it. In addition, Turkmenistan proposed the creation of the UN Regional Climate Technology Center for Central Asia.
At the national level, Turkmenistan has adopted a number of national programs and strategies on climate change and development of renewables, asl well as legislative framework aimed at using renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency and energy conservation.