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The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) at the Scottish Conference Center in Glasgow, on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan, was attended by a delegation of our country headed by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who addressed the forum with a number of specific initiatives of the Turkmen side aimed at consolidating the efforts of the international community in adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
In his speech, S. Berdimuhamedov, expressing gratitude on behalf of the Turkmen delegation to the organizers of the forum, the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the warm hospitality and the conditions created for the fruitful work of the conference, underlined that with the adoption of the global sustainable development goals, Turkmenistan is actively working to achieve them.
“Basing on the recommendation of the Convention and its obligations under the Paris Agreement, Turkmenistan is making practical efforts in the field of climate change.
First, due to the introduction of modern technologies in all spheres of the economy,
greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
Secondly, the National Strategy on Climate Change, the National Strategy on the Development of Renewable Energy until 2030 and the new Law of Turkmenistan “On
Renewable Energy Sources” were adopted.
Thirdly, millions of tree seedlings are planted annually in Turkmenistan. In 2020, 25 million of seedlings were planted, and in 2021 it is planned to plant 30 million.
Fourthly, the national determined contribution of Turkmenistan has been prepared within the framework of fulfilling the obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. The commitments proposed in it are a confirmation of Turkmenistan’s ambitious goal on reducing the greenhouse gas and issues by 2030 in key sectors of the economy. Special attention in this context is paid to reducing methane emissions. In this regard, we welcome the new initiative of the global methane commitment and expires interest in studying it in detail with the view to possible substantive participation,” said S.Berdimuhamedov.
Also it was noted that Turkmenistan plans to achieve zero growth in greenhouse gas emissions in the medium term starting in 2030, and in the long-term annual significant reductions in emissions. Our country expects to achieve these indicators, goals at the expense of our own financial resources and the technical and financial support from international organizations and financial institutions.
Vice Prime Minister S.Berdimuhamedov emphasized that Turkmen side expects systematic constructive international dialogue on climate issues will further continue. In this context, we welcome the efforts of the UN Secretary General to implement the solutions reached, and we are ready to provide maximum assistance in solving climate problems.
The informative speech of the head of the Turkmen delegation, who put forward important constructive initiatives, was warmly supported by the participants of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
These initiatives are aimed at developing the ideas and proposals expressed earlier by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, reflecting the country’s principled position on vital climate and environmental issues and outlining specific ways and mechanisms to address them at the national, regional and global levels.
Thus, addressing the UN High-level Global Forum on Extractive Industry in May this year, the Turkmen leader highlighted that our country fully shares the concern of the world community in connection with the negative impact of industrial emissions into the environment and consistently advocates close coordination of international efforts aimed at minimizing the risks and challenges existing in this regard.
Confirming the commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a fundamental document designed to ensure the high efficiency of international legal mechanisms for fulfilling climate commitments, the President of Turkmenistan informed that our country, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is preparing the Fourth National Message on Climate Change and the First Biennial Message. It is planned to submit both documents to the UN Secretariat in early 2023.
Being one of the world’s largest resource-producing countries and fully aware of its responsibility in this regard, Turkmenistan makes every effort to maintain a balance between production goals and environmental protection objectives. According to expert estimates carried out within the framework of the Third National Communication of Turkmenistan, in the long term until 2030, economic growth will be accompanied by a decrease in the share of energy consumption per unit of GDP.
At the global level, the President of Turkmenistan proposed to start developing a UN Strategy aimed at implementing measures for the development of low-carbon energy. Another proposal made concerned the creation under the auspices of the UN of an International Roadmap for the development of hydrogen energy as one of the priority and promising areas in the global fuel and energy sector.
In addition, at various international venues, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced Turkmenistan’s readiness to open a Regional Center for Technologies related to Climate Change in Central Asia in Ashgabat, put forward initiatives on the development of the UN Water Strategy and the UN special Program on the Aral Sea, the preservation of the ecosystems of the Caspian Sea.
Turkmenistan considers the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to be the main partners in implementing these initiatives.
The country is open to cooperation in environmental and climate issues with other international structures, in particular, with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). The legal basis for cooperation with this international organization is created by the Law “On Accession to the Agreement on the Establishment of the Global Institute of Green Growth” adopted recently by the Mejlis of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan.
The main document on the implementation of environmental and adaptation activities in the country is the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on Climate Change (NSTCC), which reflects the national vision of issues related to climate change and is the basis for the formation and implementation of the state policy of Turkmenistan in the field of climate change and its consequences.
Adopted in 2019 in a new edition in accordance with the spirit and letter of the Paris Agreement, the document meets the objectives of the Program of the President of Turkmenistan on socio-economic development of the country for 2019-2025, being, in fact, a strategy for low-carbon development of the country.
The adoption of the new edition of the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on Climate Change provided all the necessary legal, organizational and technological conditions for fulfilling the country’s international obligations in this area and solving environmental problems, served as the basis for a radical expansion of the list of adaptation measures.
One of these long-term measures is the activity of creating forests and improving land use to mitigate climate impacts. As part of the implementation of the Green Belt program in Turkmenistan, extensive forest strips have been planted around cities using progressive water-saving irrigation methods.
In order to effectively increase the resilience of ecological systems and forestry for climate change, the National Forest Program of Turkmenistan for 2021-2025 was developed and approved, which provides the planting of deciduous, coniferous, fruit trees and grape seedlings, as well as desert plants by various departments, administrations of the velayats and Ashgabat city, the expansion of international partnership in this area and the introduction of world best practices.
Turkmenistan, implementing national development programs, fully aligns them with the UN 2030 Agenda and climate change strategies. Having world reserves of hydrocarbons and ranking fourth in the world in proven reserves of a low-carbon energy source – natural gas, the country is also focused on the development of alternative energy.
In this regard, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov assigned the leadership of the fuel and energy complex to accelerate the pace of work in the renewable energy and hydrogen energy, the importance of which is growing in the light of the world community concern about the problems of climate change.
Today, many countries are developing their hydrogen strategies and projects, allocating substantial financial resources for this. Hydrogen will be in demand in the metallurgical and chemical industries, transport and housing, etc.
In Turkmenistan, the Turkmenbashi Complex of Oil Refineries (TKNPZ) plans to build a hydrogen production plant, which has announced an international tender for the development of relevant proposals. As part of the project, technical documentation will be prepared for the design, construction, installation and commissioning of the hydrogen plant.
The country has great natural and scientific potential for the development of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. The Scientific and Production Center of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan has developed environmental projects of solar wind power plants, which are planned to be built in accordance with the National Strategy of Turkmenistan for the Development of Renewable Energy.
One of them envisages the construction of a hybrid solar-wind power plant with a capacity of 10 megawatts in the Serdar etrap of the Balkan velayat. The project of a similar solar wind power plant was developed for implementation in the vicinity of the Altyn asyr Turkmen Lake.
On the eve of the UN Climate Summit, the issues of transition to a low-carbon future through the use of natural gas and alternative energy sources were discussed in Ashgabat at the 26th International Conference “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan – 2021”.
In October, the United Nations mission, together with the British Embassy in Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and other national partners, held the country’s first Youth Conference on Climate Change. The forum has become a platform for discussing climate problems, developing actions and solutions to combating climate change.
At the end of October, Turkmen volunteers and eco-activists took part in an environmental action organized on the shore of the Kopetdag Reservoir by the EU Delegation together with the Nature Conservation Society of Turkmenistan in support of the EUBeachCleanup global campaign for ocean protection and public awareness raising.
It should be noted in this regard that on June 21, 2021, during the 31st meeting of the Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Turkmenistan was elected to the membership of the Executive Board of this Commission for the period 2021-2023, which was another evidence of the growing authority of our country in the world, taking an active part in international and regional processes for the protection of ecology, water and land resources in accordance with its environmental and water policy.
Thus, the coincidence of the positions of Turkmenistan and the UN on combating climate change is a clear confirmation of the foresight and relevance of the initiatives of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in uniting the efforts of the world community in solving the most important global environmental problems.
