Oriented on making people closer

16 years ago, on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force. It is an international treaty that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere to combat global warming.

The Protocol extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. The first commitment period started in 2008 and expired in 2012. Even before the second commitment period ends in 2020, the Paris Agreement, which is a separate instrument under the UNFCCC, was adopted.

The Paris Agreement, which was negotiated and adopted on December 12, 2015 at the 21st Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference, set a new stage in uniting the efforts of humankind to combat the global threat affecting all. Under the Agreement, each country is assumed to adopt national plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, as well as to re-equip and adapt to climate change.

The Paris Agreement officially entered into force on November 4, 2016. According to UN reports, 195 parties signed it and 189 ratified it. And the process of joining the Agreement of other countries as they complete their national approval procedures continues.

Turkmenistan is aware of importance of the climate and environmental agenda and the country implements the provisions of the relevant international documents in its national policy and promotes new approaches to tackle global issues in the international arena. Having ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, Turkmenistan demonstrates a proactive approach to addressing the challenges of environment protection and mitigation the negative effects of climate change.

The National Strategy on Climate Change, adopted in 2012, was revised seven years later to take into account new challenges in the context of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The updated 2019 National Strategy takes into account the obligations taken by the country under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

In particular, the issues of changes in macroeconomic indicators, volume of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of economy to ensure low-carbon development of the country, as well as the development of monitoring, reporting and data verification system were considered.

In accordance with the National Strategy on Climate Change, Turkmenistan is pursuing a course towards modernization of all sectors of the economy, including oil and gas sector as a key one, industrial, agricultural, transport, etc. All projects implemented in the country meet international environmental safety standards, which is confirmed by the relevant certificates issued to modern industrial and transport facilities of Turkmenistan by authoritative foreign organizations.

Water-saving and energy-saving technologies are being introduced everywhere, adaptation measures are being implemented to restore forests and improve land use to mitigate climate impacts. Within the framework of the National Forest Program, annual campaigns are held to plant millions seedlings throughout the country, and forests are considered to be a key carbon sink.

In 2021, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence, 30 million seedlings of deciduous, coniferous, fruit trees and grapes will be planted. This campaign will contribute not only to improve the ecological well-being of the population of Turkmenistan, but also to promote the “lungs” of the entire planet.

In cooperation with international partners, long-term projects are being implemented aimed at climate-resilient life in arid regions, energy efficiency, and rational water use. Environmental forums are regularly held in the country, where experts exchange new information and useful experience, get acquainted with the reports of foreign experts about climate change and its forecasting, the global consequences of warming in the world, including in Central Asia.

According to some foreign participants in such forums, the efforts of Turkmenistan in the field of prevention global warming, modernization industrial facilities to reduce gas emissions into the atmosphere, educational activities among the population in order to increase ecological culture and considerate attitude to the environment are of particular interest to the world community and authoritative agencies to tackle the climate change, while the country’s experience can serve to improve international practice in this area.

Turkmenistan has repeatedly shown initiatives aimed at solving environmental and climatic issues at various regional and global platforms. Among them, proposals to open a Regional Center for Technologies related to climate change in Central Asia in Ashgabat, as well as to create effective mechanisms for multilateral cooperation in the Caspian Sea, the unique ecosystem of which is a property of all humanity.

Gozel SAHATOVA