|
|
 |
|
|
UNDP and the Government of Uzbekistan have announced a new initiative for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fund sustainable development by tapping the global carbon finance market. The 'Capacity Building for Clean Development Mechanism in Uzbekistan' project aims to develop public and private sector capacities to access carbon finance, which in turn will help reduce GHG emissions, boost energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, and support the Uzbek economy to develop in an environmentally-friendly manner.
According to the UNDP, the Kyoto Protocol addressing global climate change offers the potential for industrialized countries to supplement domestic emissions reductions by reducing GHG emissions of developing countries through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Uzbekistan has a large potential for reducing its GHG emissions and obtain economic and environmental benefits from this reduction. Uzbekistan's engagement with the CDM was limited due to a lack of capacity in the public and private sectors, and the inchoate level of the necessary institutional frameworks to support and facilitate the flow of 'carbon finance' into the country.
Other barriers for successful development of CDM stand to be a limited level of awareness and knowledge, lack of technical skills and financial resources to support designing CDM projects in various sectors of the country's economy. The potential sectors where CDM projects can be developed include the oil & gas industry; energy production and consumption in industries, power plants, municipalities; the promotion of renewable energy and other energy-related fields. The UNDP project was developed in response to the request from the Uzbek Government and will support, first of all, creating a legal and institutional framework for carbon finance; and secondly, building in-country capacities for identification, implementation of CDM projects and resource mobilization for GHG reduction projects eligible for Clean Development Mechanism and other carbon market mechanisms.
The project was launched in January 2007. The first activity under this project was to organize an inception workshop, in Tashkent. The workshop gathered government officials, representatives of UNDP Uzbekistan and UNDP Regional Center's experts on Kyoto Protocol. The workshop's agenda mainly concentrated on presentation of various peculiarities of the Mechanism, the project development cycle, the role of the Designated National Authority that is responsible for successful operation of CDM in the country and the different forms of the carbon markets and future opportunities. The Ministry of Economy has been officially nominated as the DNA for Kyoto Protocol in Uzbekistan, by the resolution of the President # 525 of December 6, 2006. Ministry of Economy is the key ststae body responsible for development and implementation of macro-economic strategies and policies, including those dealing with energy and fuel complex, investment regime, and poverty reduction. It is thus best positioned to assume the functions of Designated National Authority, i.e. to review Clean Development Mechanism projects and ascertain their contribution to the national sustainable development goals.
|
Date: Feb 25, 2007
Source: Uzbekistan Today |
  |
| | 
|
|
